


No True North

by Shiro_Kabocha



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime)
Genre: Asexual Senku, Canon Compliant, Canon-typical peril, Grinding, M/M, Masturbation, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Psychology, Science, Sex in later chapters, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:28:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 72,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24616846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shiro_Kabocha/pseuds/Shiro_Kabocha
Summary: Science has rules.  Directions.  Recipes.  Paths that can be followed to secure an assured outcome.  But navigating emotions, relationships and sexuality...  There is no charted course, no trodden path, no true north.But that doesn't mean there isn't a way forward.
Relationships: Asagiri Gen/Ishigami Senkuu
Comments: 164
Kudos: 406
Collections: favourite drst fics





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first Dr. Stone fic! Get excited!
> 
> My first attempt at an asexual relationship AND slow burn. My head canon of Senku is that he's not sex-averse, he's just not sexually motivated, so he doesn't see himself engaging in a relationship. Being the amazing mentalist he is, Gen understands this about Senku and decides to crack his shell anyway.

"Hey Senku?"

"Yeah, Chrome?"

Chrome fell silent as he scrubbed the outside of a beaker with a cloth. "In the village we have this...sort of tradition."

"Yeah?" Senku didn't look up from the Erlenmeyer flask he was scrubbing with a wire brush on a thin, bendy handle. Some substrate had gotten crusted along the inside of the flask and it was taking all his concentration to scrape it out.

"Yeah, it's like, when we like someone we...tell them?"

"Oh, like a confession?" Senku smiled, still not looking up. "We had that three thousand, seven hundred years ago, too. Who would have thought that tradition would have survived?"

"Yeah." Chrome laughed. "Who would have thought?"

It was raining outside the lab, and as the excess moisture in the air, along with increased atmospheric pressure, would alter any experiments they tried to run, Senku had declared it a glass-cleaning day. Both he and Chrome were going over every bit of glassware in the lab and scrubbing it sparkling clean. It was tedious work, and boring, and made Senku miss the days of dishwashers. But the work had to be done and the weather had provided the perfect excuse. They'd been working silently for the last hour; before that, Chrome had been asking questions about internal combustion engines and Senku had done his best to explain them to someone who had never seen a car before.

"I wanted to tell you," Chrome continued slowly. Senku imagined he was really focused on his task, with all the breaks he kept taking as he spoke. "That I think I'm ready to confess."

"Oh? To Ruri?" Senku turned to shoot a sly grin over his shoulder. "Did you have some flashy idea in mind? Or were you just going to ask her to meet you somewhere to tell her in private?"

"Um, no, I..." Chrome messed with his hair. Senku turned back to the scrub-resistant substrate along the crevice of the flask. "Uh, unless you like flashy confessions better?"

"Not really. Taiju used a very direct and honest approach when he confessed. Almost confessed. Was about to confess." Senku held the flask up to what passed as light through the lab's window, frowning at the crud still clinging to his glass. Was it a salt? Could he soak it to get it out? Or was it some kind of protein residue left over from something or other? Maybe he needed an acid? But what if it was reactive? He hated that he couldn't identify the white, hardened particulates almost as much as he hated the fact that he couldn't scrub them away. "But you know Ruri best. Maybe she'd prefer a flashy confession."

"I, um. It's not Ruri."

"Oh. Kohaku, then?" Senku grinned over at him again. "Both of them?"

"No!" Chrome's face turned red. "I'm trying to confess to you, Senku."

Senku slowly lowered his arm, grin sliding off his face. "Oh."

Chrome swallowed visibly, forced a smile, then forged ahead with his planned confession. "Everything changed after you showed up here at the village. In a good way, I mean. You taught me that my sorcery was science and you showed me how to apply it in ways I never could have imagined. Maybe the world would have reinvented science in another two million years even if you hadn't revived, but the fact that you're here, sharing all this knowledge with me and gifting the villagers with a better standard of living...well, I'm grateful. And I'd like to keep learning from you and working with you as more than just my friend and lab partner." Chrome's smile glowed with hope. "What do you say, Senku?"

"No thanks."

Chrome's hope died like a doused candle. He stuttered a moment, shuffling his feet and shifting his weight. Apparently he hadn't been prepared for such an abrupt rejection.

And Chrome wasn't the only one feeling uncomfortable, either. It wasn't that Senku hadn't gotten confessions in the past--there hadn't been many, but he'd had a few. But Senku had never really worried about offending anyone with a rejection before. High school wasn't a life or death trial, it was merely a hurdle to get over on one's way to adulthood. Senku didn't need to rely on classmates to survive. He did rely on Chrome.

And more than just that, Senku _did_ like Chrome. Not romantically, of course, but he liked Chrome at least as much as he liked Taiju and Yuzuriha. Chrome was a fellow scientist, as well as proof that humanity would always rediscover science even when stripped down to nothing but bare resources. And he'd become an invaluable friend and ally. He deserved better than an out-of-hand rejection.

If only Senku knew how to give something better than an out-of-hand rejection.

He rubbed the back of his head as he tried to think of the right words to say. "Sorry, Chrome. It isn't personal."

"No?" Chrome's smile looked forced. "Then, can I ask what it is? It's just that...I thought we were really getting along."

They were getting along--really well, in fact, by Senku's standards. Most people aggravated him, but in Chrome he'd found a kindred spirit as well as a willing pupil. Hell, he'd been sharing space in Chrome's house ever since he'd arrived at the village; it had taken him years to be on that same level with Taiju. Although, perhaps his standards had changed to meet his needs in this stone world.

Still, it was a little much to have to explain his orientation out loud. He'd never really discussed it before; it wasn't anyone else's business and he wasn't entirely certain Chrome would understand.

Still, he gave it his best approximation of a shot. "I've never really been interested in relationships or sex or anything like that," Senku said with a shrug. "Biology is the oldest science and it's messy and boring. There's about ten billion other things I'd rather be researching or creating instead."

"I...see." Senku could see that Chrome didn't see, but at least he wasn't pressing the issue. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make us both uncomfortable."

"Yeah, me neither." Senku went back to staring at the stuck-on substrate in the flask. "If you want, I can move into a different hut. Or have my own hut built out here. It's been really presumptuous of me, living with you all this time."

"No, no, I don't mind." Chrome picked up the same glass he'd been wiping down earlier and scrubbed at it with a cloth again. "I still really like talking with you at night, about scientific advancements and the way the world used to be. I don't want you to feel like you have to move out."

A more considerate person might have insisted on moving out; it was the polite thing to do, especially after turning down such an ardent confession. But practically, Senku liked being close to his little scientific outpost and building a hut would take time and manpower--two things he found himself increasingly short on these days. So without hesitation, Senku smiled and said: "I enjoy our talks at night, too! Thanks for letting me stay."

~*~^~*~

Something had changed between Senku-chan and Chrome-chan. Gen could tell just by listening through the wall of their lab. They weren't saying anything particularly interesting--or if they were, it was too highly technical for Gen to understand it--but Chrome kept stuttering and dropping precious glassware. Senku sounded normal, except for when he growled at Chrome for breaking his beakers.

Gen felt a smile stretch the scar on his face. If he had to guess, he would say Chrome had finally gotten himself together and confessed his feelings for Senku. Yesterday would have been the perfect opportunity, what with the rain keeping most of the villagers--Gen included--from crossing the bridge to visit the tiny little Kingdom of Science. When the weather was good, Gen often slept outside near the Kingdom of Science, or on nights he worked extra late with Senku, he'd be invited to crash with him and Chrome--an opportunity he never turned down. But in poor weather, he bowed to conventional custom and shared a hut with the other village bachelors. It wasn't comfortable, but at least it was dry.

Just based on the tones of the voices inside the lab, Gen figured out that Chrome was feeling awkward and nervous, while Senku was the same as always. The most likely outcome of Chrome's confession: A resounding rejection by Senku. Gen could almost feel bad for the sorcerer-turned-scientist.

Almost.

Because, well, Gen was working that exact same angle. But at least he knew better than to lead with a confession.

Another tinkle of broken glass from inside the lab and Gen rounded the doorway, sweeping the door-flap out of his way dramatically.

"My, my," he said, taking in the pieces of broken glass along the floor. "You're making it very unsafe for non-shoe-wearing people like me inside this lab. I suppose that lets me off the hook for helping today."

"Proper lab safety requires footwear, Gen," Senku said dryly. He was crouched so that he was eye-level with a graduated cylinder, watching the level rise as he poured some innocuous-looking liquid into it. Gen did not want to ask how Senku had managed to recreate the metric system--he feared he wouldn't understand the answer anyway. "The rain put us behind yesterday. We could really use your help."

"Well, you know, I would." Gen stood in the doorway, his hands tucked inside his sleeves. "But I think there may be a more pressing gathering mission that should be undertaken instead, otherwise we might miss out on something we'll need to get us comfortably through the winter."

Chrome didn't look up from sweeping glass shards into a pile. Senku held perfectly still until he finished adding to the graduated cylinder, then set his beaker down to stare over at Gen. "What gathering mission? We have everything we need."

"We have everything _you_ need," Gen replied. "But some modern comforts will go a long way to winning the hearts and minds of the villagers. And even I know this one's an easy one. Look." With a flourish of his wrists and sleeves, Gen made a long, slender branch of leaves appear seemingly from nowhere. Of course, Senku had never been the least bit surprised by Gen's sleight of hand and even Chrome had gotten used to it by now, but Gen liked to keep in practice, so he did his little tricks at every opportunity.

Senku held his frown for a moment, then, slowly, his eyes lit up. He circled around the lab bench and plucked a leaf from the branch, rubbing it between his fingers before sniffing at it. "Eucalyptus. I thought these trees would have all died out by now."

"Right? They aren't exactly native, are they?" Gen swept the branch grandly. "There's at least three trees, maybe more, but as it's fall, the leaves are turning. If you want to collect enough leaves to do anything with them, you'll want to start collecting today."

Senku looked back into the lab, a calculation on his face. He had to be weighing the delay of whatever potion he was trying to brew against the preventative healthcare a little bit of eucalyptus could provide. He was probably also factoring in Chrome's sudden inability to handle glassware, too.

"I don't understand," Chrome said, sweeping the glass shards into a thin wooden tray, like a dustpan. "What tree is this? What does it do?"

"Eucalyptus has a lot of medicinal uses," Senku explained, still rubbing his thumb over the leaf in his hand. "It's good for the bladder and the blood and functions as an anti-inflammatory. It can even be used to clean wounds and burns."

"It also helps treat asthma and the common cold by opening airways." The trees smelled like cough drops to Gen, which was largely how he'd recognized them. "A hundred and one easy uses, if only we can gather enough before the leaves begin to die."

Senku thought for a moment, glanced back at the pan of broken glass, then nodded sharply. "We can take a day for collection. I'll write up a few recipes for you, Gen. Stewing eucalyptus should be an easy enough task for you."

"Alas, my good intentions have turned against me once more!" Gen held his wrist over his head dramatically, standing beneath the branch of medicinal leaves. "It's true what they say: No good deed goes unpunished."

"Yep, that's right." Senku grabbed the collar of Gen's shirt, hauling him outside the lab. "Chrome! Why don't you stay and finish up that acid? It sounded like you had the hang of it."

"As long as he doesn't break any more of your glass," Gen put in, voice low as he allowed himself to be dragged along.

Senku slowed his pace, then stopped. "On second thought, Chrome, can you ask Kaseki to make a few new beakers for us?"

"Yeah." Chrome looked miserable as he skulked out of the lab, pan of broken glass in hand. He made his way over to the glass-making kiln while Senku continued dragging Gen to the stilted-hut where he and Chrome made their home. Gen waited outside while Senku climbed up the ladder, dropping collection baskets down to him.

"We'll take Suika and Kohaku with us," Senku said, descending the ladder once he'd tossed down everything they needed for a day of collecting specimens. "Maybe Kinro and Ginro can come, too. For our protection."

"To help carry things, you mean," Gen suggested. Senku grinned back at him. Neither of them had the stamina to keep up with the villagers raised in the stone world; they did their part, just more slowly and with greater attention to detail.

"Where did you see the trees?" Senku asked.

"Just out past where we collect foxtails for millet." Gen gestured broadly. "I suspect there are more than three, but I didn't want to venture too deeply into the woods without a guardian."

"Three should be more than enough, if the leaves haven't turned yet," Senku said shrugging into the straps of his collection basket, wearing it like a backpack. He glanced over at Gen, a heart-racingly superior smirk on his face. "I keep saying that having a modern man like you around really helps the Kingdom of Science advance. No one else would have thought to tell me about the eucalyptus."

"And here I am, toiling away for all my good intentions." Gen gave a suffering sigh, but as Senku turned his back to find others to assist with the collection, he secretly smiled. He didn't have Chrome's quick mind for acids and reagents, mathematics and advanced engineering. What he did have was a wealth of modern-day knowledge and an intuitive grasp on human psychology. A person like Senku would never be the type of person to feel either pressured or flattered by a straightforward confession; Senku was the type of person who had to fall slowly, bit by bit, perhaps never acknowledging his own feelings until long after they were known to everyone else. It took patience and skill to make someone like Senku fall in love.

And Gen had both in spades.

~*~^~*~

The walk out past the foxtail fields wasn't entirely unpleasant, but it wasn't a picnic, either. The autumn sun was still warm enough to make sweat run down Senku's back and the breeze was just cool enough to give him a chill. And he wasn't even carrying anything heavy yet, just a few collection tools for the eucalyptus branches. Walking back to the Kingdom of Science was going to be much worse.

Kohaku walked out ahead of the group, sweeping her spear through the grasses, warding away any sunning snakes, while Kinro and Ginro followed behind, Ginro complaining loudly and Kinro stoic as always. As usual, though, the only person who caught and held Senku's eye was Gen. Suika walked along beside him, begging him to show her the tricks behind his illusions. Gen was laughing, his hands tucked in his sleeves as he said the long-ago coined phrase: "A magician never reveals his secrets."

"He has pockets hidden inside his sleeves," Senku explained. "He hides flowers inside them and grabs a handful when he throws his arms out wide."

"Why Senku-chan!" Gen feigned offense. "When did you go pawing through my clothes? You could always just ask me to take them off for you."

Senku snorted. "Magicians use a technique called 'misdirection,' Suika. It means they get you to look at something else while they perform the trick."

"Illusion," Gen corrected.

Senku rolled his eyes.

"Does that mean Senku can make the same illusions Gen makes?" Suika asked thoughtfully.

"I can tell you how the tricks are done, but performing them flawlessly takes skill and practice," Senku told her. "I don't have the time for either while I'm rebuilding the world of science."

"Aw, Senku-chan! For a moment, that almost sounded like a compliment." Gen tipped his head to the side, making his smile look like a taunt. "Don't worry, I'll perform for you anytime you ask."

Senku laughed then looked ahead. They were almost at the eucalyptus trees now and he was already feeling exhausted. The Ishigami villagers were still energetic, looking untouched from the long walk, but surprisingly so was Gen. He walked blithely along with a smile, his hands tucked in his sleeves, not a hair out of place. Why wasn't he sweating and panting? Senku didn't imagine a TV personality such as Gen had performed much hard labor before he'd been petrified. So why did he always seem so untouched by strenuous activity?

He must have had personal trainers, Senku told himself. Maybe he walked or ran on a treadmill, or one of those stationary bikes. It'll be different when he's carrying a load of sticks back down to the village on his back.

"Suika wants to learn to do illusions, too!"

"Hm..." Gen looked as if he were considering deeply. "To learn the secrets of a magician, you must be willing to become his apprentice."

"Suika can be Gen's apprentice!" Suika bounced on her toes, one arm extended high, as if asking to be picked out of a crowd. "Suika can learn! Suika already knows all kinds of tricks!"

"You are pretty observant. Especially with those new eyes of science Senku-chan made for you." Gen reached out and laid a hand on Suika's melon, turning it playfully so she had to right it to see. "I'd be willing to take you on as my apprentice, Suika-chan, but that means you’ll have to take over some of my chores so I can plan lessons for you."

"Suika can do it! Suika will collect leaves for Gen!" she said, balling up her fists triumphantly before racing on ahead on Kohaku.

Senku gave Gen a sideways glare.

Gen grinned back. "Can't keep your eyes off me, can you, Senku-chan?"

"You just manipulated a child into doing your work for you," he said, but not judgmentally. It was a fact and facts weren't judgmental.

"Did I?" Gen hummed thoughtfully. "Or did I give her something to look forward to after working so hard to collect tree branches? You and I both know I wasn't going to be climbing any trees in the first place. I might have recognized the trees, but I'm not one for such physical labor. And nor are you, Senku-chan."

"I'm still going to help collect the branches. This was your idea, Gen. You should put some effort into helping."

"I'm here, aren't I?" Gen smiled. "And at the end of the day, I think I'll accomplish even more than you."

Senku snorted. "We'll see."

"Are these the trees?" Kohaku asked, pointing up from the base of a slender, bone-white tree.

"Yes, those three are all eucalyptus," Senku confirmed, drawing near. The trees were set on the edge of the foxtail field, set just a little apart from the wild forest beyond the field. He scanned the treeline, looking for more pale tree trunks, but if there were more eucalyptus, they were hidden in shadows.

"Strange how these three trees grew here rather than in the forest," Gen commented, voicing the thoughts on Senku's mind. "Perhaps these trees were part of someone's aesthetic. Or maybe this land was once part of a zoo and this used to be the koala enclosure."

"Not that it matters." Senku set his baskets and bundles down on the ground at the base of the tree. Suika and Kohaku were already climbing up the central tree, jumping from branch to branch like squirrels. He checked a pair of shears for their edge, then tucked them into his tool pouch once again. "We want branches cut to arm-length of only the greenest leaves. If the leaves have turned, they aren't going to be as useful in making medicine."

A loud _crack_ sounded from above, making both Senku and Gen cringe, covering their heads with their arms. "Oops. Is that too long, Senku?"

A branch dangled from where Kohaku had stomped on it near the trunk--a branch that could nearly span the width of the entire kingdom of science.

"Yes, that's too long!" Senku called up, moving away in case the branch decided to snap off entirely. "We want the thin branches, the ones you can snap off with your fingers, not the ones you have to rip off with gorilla strength!"

Kohaku smiled brightly before stomping down on the branch again, severing it from the tree. Senku darted out of its path, but Gen stood by serenely as the rush of wind from its fall ruffled his hair and clothes.

"I'll start by cutting off the useful branches from this one," Gen said brightly, revealing a small stone knife from his sleeve with a flourish. "Why don't you show off your amazing talent at climbing trees, Senku-chan?"

Senku smirked and followed Ginro to the tree to the left of Kohaku's, leaving Kinro to the tree on the right. Senku had learned the climb trees, even ones without low branches--it had been a necessity to survival back when he'd been on his own, and the muscles he'd earned since his depetrification were stronger now than they were back then. Still, he knew he climbed awkwardly, without the effortless grace of children who grew up climbing trees for fun rather than necessity. He was sweating and tired by the time he reached the first sturdy branch he could sit on, while Ginro, always reluctant to work, had climbed to the tree's midway point was happily hacking down branches.

After catching his breath, Senku pulled out his shears and got to work cutting off branches barely the width of his finger.

It felt like he'd been working for hours when he paused to take a sip of water, but judging by how the shadows had moved, he'd probably only been up in the tree for a little over half an hour. But his back ached and his hand was sore, so he leaned back against the trunk of the tree, taking just a moment to relax.

How was Gen faring with all this hard work? Had he climbed the same tree as Kinro and gotten to work? No, Senku realized with a snicker. Gen was still on the ground, looking as if he had no intention of climbing anything. Senku could get him back for this: all those soaps and deodorant powders the man preferred weren't exactly a priority; perhaps he could go a week without such niceties if he wasn't going to pull his weight in the Kingdom of Science.

What was he doing, exactly? Senku grasped a branch above his head to lean forward and see around Kohaku and Suika's tree, where he could just make out the pale lilac of Gen's overcoat.

Gen was crouched low to the ground, working on something mostly hidden by the tall grasses. When he finally stood up and moved away, Senku realized that Gen had been tying the cut branches into bundles, making them easier to carry, then piling the bundles all together neatly. Gen stretched long, reaching for the sky as if his back hurt, then went to gather the branches that Kinro had let fall to the base of his tree, collecting just enough to tie in a good-sized bundle.

That's actually really helpful, Senku thought, surprised. I wish I'd thought of it; it's a better use of my time and talent than trying to work as hard and fast as a gorilla.

But he'd already climbed the tree and climbing down now to mimic Gen would look juvenile, so he continued cutting branches while mentally he prepared a recipe for turning the eucalyptus into an oil he could then add to medicines. Anything with eucalyptus oil in it would taste terribly bitter, but perhaps if he turned it into cough drops instead, he could use syrup to sweeten the taste and resin to harden it into a shape...

"Senku-chan, look out!" Gen's frantic shout came out of nowhere, causing Senku to lose both his concentration and his balance. He slipped sideways on his branch, catching himself with one hand and a knee hooked around the branch. From where he hung, he could see a blackened, dead tree branch dropping towards him, giving him just enough time to close his eyes and look away before the dead branch crashed into the one he hung from and shattered into pieces.

"I'm sorry, Senku!" Ginro called down. "Are you alright? That branch was stuck inside the tree, I didn't see it until it fell!"

"I'm fine!" Senku called up, his heart racing but his mind cool as it informed him that a fall from this height was likely not life-threatening (unless he landed on his head or neck, of course) but would have resulted in several long-term injuries. It took him a minute to right himself on the branch and longer still to calm his biological reactions to fearful stimulus.

"Ugh, these are getting heavy," Gen complained, standing below Senku as he gathered up the cut-away branches. "How many of these leaves to we actually need, Senku-chan?"

"To get a village of about forty people through the winter comfortably, if we're making the oil into cough drops, we'll want about five kilos. Of just the leaves, not the branches. A little more if we want to make a topical ointment as well." Senku narrowed his eyes at the bundles Gen had tied together. "We're probably going to have to come back here the next two days to collect that much."

"Well, that simply sounds exhausting." Gen sidestepped a falling branch without looking up: a neat trick. "Surely making the oil shouldn't be too arduous, though, right?"

Senku chuckled as he snapped a few more twigs free of the branch he was perched on. "The first part is easy: stripping the leaves off the branches and washing them in water before setting them aside to dry. But then the leaves will need to be stewed in oil in a very specific ratio for hours at a time, then strained so only the eucalyptus-infused oil remains. And then, once we have the oil, we can begin devising recipes for medicines, cough drops and topical ointments."

Gen sighed theatrically. "I suppose most of that is going to fall to me, isn't it?"

"You are the one who discovered the eucalyptus," Senku reminded him. He dropped another twig down, then frowned. When had he gotten so far out on this low branch? His sense of self-preservation should have kicked in after the near-miss with the dead branch that nearly hit him. The logical response would have been to climb down, or, at a minimum, stay close to the trunk where the branches were thick. But instead, he'd continued on as if nothing had happened.

Gen, he realized, looking down. Gen redirected my thoughts. Made me think about science rather the probabilities of injury or death. Was that intentional, or was it a coincidence?

Senku both loved and loathed having Gen in the Kingdom of Science. He was a modern man who knew the inner workings of the human brain, which gave him the insight to manipulate almost anyone. That was wonderful when Senku needed to understand something about a person; it was not so great when Gen turned those powers of perception on Senku himself. Senku rarely understood his own thoughts about personal motivation, emotions and relationships: it wasn't exactly fair that Gen not only understood those thoughts, but could manipulate them as well.

Slightly irritated, Senku slipped his shears into his tool belt and inched back along the branch, towards the trunk, then slid down to the ground. He pulled a hank of rope from his belt pouch and began gathering up broken twigs to tie into a bundle.

"Get tired of climbing around like one of the gorillas, Senku-chan?" Gen asked, his voice teasing.

"I was afraid Ginro might drop more branches on my head and I thought I'd be safer down here." Senku fixed Gen with a smirk. "Seems like you had a plan to stay earthbound the entire time."

"I believe in working smarter, not harder," Gen said airily, waving a hand over his shoulder as he went to go gather twigs beneath a different tree. He paused, shading his eyes as he looked up. "Oh no! It seems Kinro's twigs are getting stuck in the lower boughs as he cuts them down! There's nothing to gather."

"Hey Kinro!" Senku shouted. "Your branches are getting stuck! You need to knock them down!"

"I found a good spot with thin branches and green leaves," Kinro called back. "If you want, I can knock this entire bough down, just as Kohaku did so someone can help me collect these leaves."

"No, don't knock any more boughs down," Senku replied, rubbing his ear. "We may need to collect leaves here next year and we'll want all the heavy boughs to grow new branches."

"So pragmatic," Gen said softly, teasingly. Then he raised his voice, swooning dramatically. "If only we had someone skilled and nimble who might knock down the unfallen twigs so that I might bind them! I shudder to think what might happen if we languish here after dark!"

"Suika is skilled and nimble!" Suika declared, volunteering herself cheerfully. "Suika will knock down the stuck branches!"

"Truly there are heroes in the world," Gen said, swiping away an actual tear from his cheek.

Senku rolled his eyes; surely even Suika could see through this false act. Couldn't she? Okay, maybe not. She leapt from Kohaku's tree to Kinro's, moving along branches that couldn't have taken anyone else’s weight without snapping and skipped along the thicker boughs, sending the cut branches raining down to the ground.

"Careful not to fall," Senku cautioned, nervous for Suika's balance in those impractical stone shoes all the villagers wore.

"Suika is being careful!" Suika assured him, standing a-tiptoe on one foot as she used one branch to free another branch stuck above her. "Suika won't fall! This forest is Suika's playground!"

"Suika-chan is brave and talented," Gen praised her, smiling as he gathered up the twigs. "Much more useful than us modern humans."

Senku caught the hint of a blush on Suika's cheeks beneath the shadow of her melon-helmet. She darted from branch to branch, shaking more cut twigs loose for Gen to gather.

"Don't you ever think you're over doing it?" Senku asked, voice low as he helped gather the fallen branches. "She's a child."

"She's a child that has been written off as endearingly strange and deserving of pity by her entire village," Gen clarified. "Before being unconditionally accepted into the Kingdom of Science, she felt lonely and useless. Being given a purpose and then being trusted to fulfill that purpose gives her a sense of satisfaction and pride. Isn't that what you were doing when you not only invited her into your kingdom, but trusted her to find me when I was still a double-agent?"

Senku shook his head. "I saw someone intelligent enough to find a way to deal with their limitations given the resources at hand. Someone who was industrious with a lot of free time on their hands, someone who could benefit from science. That's all."

"Hmm." Senku looked up find himself being studied by Gen's blue eyes. "You find uses for everyone, don't you, Senku-chan?"

"I don't keep useless things around," Senku replied, grinning.

"Well then, I suppose I'm glad you have a use for me." Gen smirked, winked, then turned and walked away, gathering up freshly cut branches from beneath Kohaku's tree.

For some inexplicable reason, Senku nearly followed him. Instead, he shook his head and tied off the bundle of branches he'd gathered. There were still plenty of sticks here; there was no good reason to follow Gen from tree to tree.

The sun was sinking low when Kohaku finally called a halt for the day: it was dangerous to be out so far from the village after dark. Thanks to Gen's work (and some of Senku's) most of the cut branches were already neatly bundled so they could be easily carried back to the village. Which meant it was Senku's least favorite part of the living in a stone world: hauling back the spoils of the day.

Everyone fitted themselves with a harness meant to help carry firewood and lashed the bundles to their backs. Ginro exalted under the fact that these twiggy leafy branches were way lighter than normal firewood, and even though he carried far fewer bundles than Kohaku and Kinro, he still easily managed twice the number of bundles that Senku could carry. Senku grunted as he stood upright, adjusting the straps over his shoulders, already sweating beneath the weight on his back.

"You okay there, Senku-chan?" Gen smiled at him, arms folded inside his sleeves, a similarly laden pack on his own back. "If you faint halfway back, we'll have to carry you in addition to your eucalyptus."

"I'm carrying the optimum amount of weight to avoid collapse or dehydration," Senku explained, having made the calculation earlier. "I won't be as fast as everyone else, but I won't collapse, either."

"Do we have everything?" Kohaku asked, surveying the laden packs on everyone's back (except for Suika: she carried a bundle of twigs on her arms instead). "Alright, stay close! We want to get back to the village before dinnertime."

Senku meant to keep up with the others--really, he did!--but the pace Kohaku set was, if anything, quicker than the pace she'd set to get here. Before long, his shoulders were aching, his water flask was empty and his steps dragged. Sure, his body had come a long way from what it had been before he was petrified, but he was still no match for a people who had grown up hunting and gathering their whole lives. Even Suika, with her short legs, managed to keep pace with Kohaku, sometimes even frolicking ahead before slowing down and waiting for the others.

In theory, Gen should have been dragging just as much as Senku was, yet he matched Senku's pace seemingly by choice, a smile on his face, his arms tucked serenely inside his sleeves. When Senku glanced over at him, Gen beamed.

"Not about to faint, are you, Senku-chan?"

"Not a chance," Senku panted. He swiped a hand across his forehead and flicked sweat off his fingertips. His lab coat stuck to his legs every time he took a step, his hair felt wilted and weighed down; the day felt like summer's last hurrah before it yielded to a milder season. He swept his sweat-heavy bangs off his forehead, then looked over at Gen again. "How is it that you never look hot?"

Gen feigned a hurt expression, placing his hand over his chest. "I? Not hot? I'll have you know I was once counted among the top one-hundred most attractive TV personalities!"

Senku rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. You never sweat, despite all the layers of clothing you wear. You haven't had as much time to acclimatize to the stone world as I have, so how do you do it?"

Gen's smile was devilishly inviting. "Hm, asking after my secrets, Senku-chan? Are you falling for me after all?"

Senku snorted. "Not even by one millimeter. I'm interested in not sweating myself to dehydration, that's all."

"Hmm." Gen gazed off, playfully thoughtful. "You're a scientist, Senku. You must have a theory or two as to why I don't seem fatigued."

Senku turned the question over in his mind, coming up with a few likely hypotheses. "You must have had a personal trainer back in the modern age and you trained cardio to keep from bulking up."

"Ah, cardio," Gen said, smiling wistfully. "I did all my cardio on a treadmill in an air conditioned, private gym with lemon-ice water and a juice bar. It hardly compares to this in terms of strenuous activity."

Senku frowned and tried again: "You had all your sweat glands removed in one of those vain cosmetic surgeries."

"Tsk, Senku-chan, many so-called cosmetic surgeries are actually quite necessary." Gen wagged a finger at him. "But no, I assure you my sweat glands are intact and functional."

Senku turned his hands up in a shrug. "I give up already. Tell me how you do it."

Gen laughed. "I could tell you, but you won't believe me."

"I can see the proof that whatever you're doing is effective," Senku argued. "What is it? A primitive talcum powder? Deliberate dehydration? A lower than average body temperature?"

Senku felt the pull of Gen's eyes as they locked with his, Gen's smile coy and teasing. "I simply tell myself I'm not hot."

Senku stared. "You're right. I don't believe you."

Gen tossed his head back and laughed. "I knew you wouldn't! But think, Senku: You've seen evidence of placebos working to cure cancer and other terminable illnesses, haven't you?"

"There is demonstrable evidence that an administered placebo may have a positive effect on terminally ill patients," Senku admitted grudgingly. "But in many cases, you could also point to a latent reaction to a previous drug, or a change in activity or diet. It's illogical to believe that a sugar pill actually caused the change."

"The human mind is a complex and beautiful thing," Gen said, eyes distant as he smiled fondly. "It can do amazing things with the right amount of willpower. It can convince the body that it is getting better on a new medication, even when that medication is a simple sugar pill. It can keep a body from reacting to heat and exertion. And it can allow a person to keep track of passing millennia by counting each and every second, never giving in to despair, fear or exhaustion. Quite an impressive instrument, wouldn't you say, Senku-chan?"

Senku had been about to argue on the point about the mind being able to control sweat and exhaustion, but paused, open-mouthed, on the point about keeping count of the seconds when he was petrified. It hadn't been easy and as time dragged out, he found himself close to losing consciousness sooner and sooner in his endless count. It had taken an incredible amount of willpower to stay "awake" and to keep count, while doing the complex equations that told him when it would be spring--the optimal time to break out of his petrification.

Could it really be that simple in regards to physical exertion, too?

Senku narrowed his eyes, thinking. "So all you do is tell your body not to sweat?"

"No," Gen laughed. "All you have to believe is that you're not hot and you're not tired."

Senku made a face. "But I am hot and tired."

"It's all in your head," Gen insisted, waving the notion away cheerfully. "There's a cool breeze blowing. Don't you feel it? And we didn't do that much work really, not when you compare it to climbing around in the trees and chopping down branches." He stretched long, smiling, seemingly ignorant of the burden on his back. "I might as well have been napping in the shade, I feel so refreshed."

Senku glared at him. "I don't believe you."

Gen smiled as he shrugged. "Then sweat. You're probably too busy running calculations in your head for the coming fight with Tsukasa-chan anyway to begin trying something new now, anyway."

"Hmph." That sounded like a challenge, but Senku wasn't going to rise to it. It was a ridiculous claim anyway. You couldn't just tell yourself you weren't tired when you were. Sure, you could push past your limits every so often, but your exhaustion would still weigh on you, still affect you, still disrupt your thinking and distract--

Senku blinked. When and how had he caught up with Kohaku and the others? They were very nearly back at the village, but instead of lagging behind the group, Senku was nearly close enough to tap Ginro on the shoulder. After a moment of confusion, he shot a look over at Gen. Gen smiled beatifically back, saying nothing at all.

He increased our pace, Senku realized. I was distracted, thinking about how impossible it was to just ignore heat and exhaustion and he gradually increased the pace, forcing me to match it. That sneaky little bat!

He grinned as he thought it, though. It might have been manipulative, but it was also impressive. Way more impressive than the sleight of hand Gen liked to show off, at least.

"We should go down to the lake," Senku said, pausing at the top of a trail that would take them down to the water rather than to the village's bridge. "We need to wash the leaves off before we start stewing them."

"Can't that wait?" Ginro whined. "It's nearly dinner time!"

"It won't take long, right Senku?" Kohaku confirmed. "Just a swish through the water?"

"And then we need to set the branches out to dry back at the laboratory," Senku instructed, taking the lead. "So no, not that long!"

Ginro still whined and Gen looked like he was trying to find an excuse not to go, but then Suika caught his hand and skipped down the hill to the water, towing him along behind her. Kohaku and Kinro looked surly, but didn't protest. At the strip of sand before the lake, Senku kicked off his shoes and waded into the water before taking whole bundles of eucalyptus leaves and gently swirling them through the water.

"Remember, it's the leaves we want," he told everyone. "So try not to lose too many in the water."

Kohaku, Suika, Kinro and Ginro all waded into the water, patiently and gently rinsing off each bundle of twigs, then shaking the water free from the leaves. Senku turned to exchange his bundle for a new one, only to find Gen holding out an empty hand, offering to exchange a dry bundle for a clean bundle. He grinned when Senku glared at him.

"No one told me I'd have to undress for this," Gen said, pouting. "And if my hands get wet, the wind will dry out my skin something awful. You don't want to have to waste lotion and antibiotics on me, do you? Help me out, Senku-chan!"

"Alright." Senku grinned wickedly. Gen's eyes went wide an instant before Senku grabbed his hand and yanked him into the water. Gen staggered a moment, then caught his balance, knee-deep in the water, the ends of his overcoat and kimono dragging. He whimpered once, then glared at Senku. "Thanks for the help, Gen!"

"If I catch I cold from this, I swear to make your life miserable until I'm well again, Senku-chan!" Gen vowed, catching up his coat in one hand while dunking the bundle of twigs with the other, all while trying not to get his sleeves wet.

Senku laughed. "Why not just tell yourself not to get sick? I'm sure it's all a matter of willpower."

"Oh, no, now I'm _hoping_ I get sick," Gen said vengefully. "So I can make you wait on me hand and foot until I get better."

"I ten-billion-percent guarantee that'll never happen," Senku replied, wading to the shore, his eucalyptus all clean. Putting it back into the carry-pack wasn't pleasant, though, as the water dripped down his back. He hoped Chrome had the bonfire going back at the Kingdom of Science already: he was looking forward to drying off.

Ugh, Chrome. Senku frowned just thinking of him. Working with Chrome had become awkward since his confession yesterday. He'd hoped that Chrome would move past it quickly--the man was a scientist, after all--but all the broken glass that morning seemed evidence to the contrary. He could only hope that Chrome was over it by now.

Gen sloshed out of the water and wrung out his clothes, giving Senku a petulant stare. "I hope you know I'm not walking all the way back to the village in wet clothes."

"You can dry off by the fire," Senku said. After all, he intended to do the same, now that his lab coat was dripping from the collection basket. "Why don't you all stay for dinner at the Kingdom of Science tonight?"

"Suika wants to stay! Suika wants to hear more stories about a long, long time ago!"

"I'll stay for dinn--"

"Ginro and I have guard duty an hour after sundown," Kinro said, speaking over his brother. "We have to return to the village after we drop off these leaves at the laboratory."

"Aw." Ginro hunched his shoulders, kicking a rock into the lake. "We worked really hard today! I wanted to take a break."

"If you think that was hard, wait til training tomorrow morning!" Kohaku declared, shouldering her pack of branches once more. "I'll stay for dinner, Senku. And I can take Suika back to village afterwards."

While Senku didn't often notice the moods of others, he couldn't help but recognize Gen's mood as anything other than sullen during the walk back to the Kingdom of Science. It was probably due to his wet clothes, which was undeniably Senku's fault. Not that Senku felt guilty about it, it was simply a correlation he understood. It didn't make any sense for Gen to be upset, really. His clothes weren't damaged and a little time sitting by the fire would dry his clothes. It wasn't like it was winter; wet clothes weren't a death sentence or anything. Gen would get over his fit of temper; Senku was sure of it.

Chrome wasn't around when they arrived back at the laboratory, so he was probably at the village, getting dinner for everyone who worked and lived at the Kingdom of Science. Gen dropped his burden of branches in front of the lab's door, then, with a pointed glare at Senku, strode over to Chrome's hut and climbed the ladder, disappearing inside. Senku shrugged; Gen spent the night often enough that he wasn't worried about him destroying or stealing anything. More than likely Gen was simply taking off his wet clothes. Kinro and Ginro left shortly after dropping off their bundles, too, before heading back to the village for guard duty.

Kohaku boosted Suika up onto the roof of the laboratory, then Senku and Kohaku passed up the bundles of eucalyptus to be spread out and dried overnight. Once the branches were as spaced out as possible, they used a fishing net to hold the branches in place so they wouldn't get blown away by the wind. Just as Suika was jumping down from the roof of the lab, Chrome called out a greeting from the edge of the village. Kohaku stirred up the fire in the central pit, throwing on more wood to make it burn bright and strong. Senku sat down on one of the split logs with a heavy sigh--his _everything_ hurt after the day’s labor.

"Did you get what you needed?" Chrome asked, handing out bowls of dinner to Kohaku and Suika.

"We'll need more," Senku explained, working a crick out of his neck. Chrome sounded almost normal; perhaps he was finally over his embarrassment from the other day. "It seems like we picked a lot, but the branches don't count. It's really only the leaves we--"

Chrome's fingers brushed Senku's as he handed over a bowl, then jerked away at the contact, dropping the bowl before Senku had a firm grasp on it. The clay bowl shattered on the hard-packed earth, spilling the mess of oats and meat beside the fire. Senku stared, surprised, as Chrome's face slowly filled in with color.

"Sorry, I'm sorry!" The remaining bowls on the tray shivered as Chrome shook. "My bad! I'll clean it up, I--"

"Hey!" Senku jumped up, grabbing the tray before it could tip and spill the rest of the dinner bowls. "Get ahold of yourself, Chrome! We can't afford to waste food going into winter."

"I know, I know," Chrome said miserably, ducking his head as he cleaned up the mess of broken pottery and spilled food. He tossed the whole mess into the fire, then dusted his hands off on his pants. "I'm sorry, Senku. It's--I'm--"

"Go wash your hands," Senku ordered, pulling the tray away when Chrome tried to reach for a bowl. And then, because the villagers weren’t always one hundred percent on board with proper hygiene: "With soap."

Chrome sighed, not meeting Senku's eyes. "Yeah, fine."

Senku nearly jumped when a slim, pale hand reached out of the shadows to claim a bowl from the dinner tray. He hadn't forgotten Gen at all, he just wasn't used to seeing Gen's naked limbs on display. Gen wore only his laced-up vest, makeshift obi and a cloth—likely one of the towels Senku and Chrome used on bath days--wrapped around his waist as a sort of skirt, leaving his legs bare from the knees down. His feet, as always, were bare. Nudity or the baring of skin wasn't something Senku cared about--hell, he'd spent nearly a full week fully nude when he'd first revived--and he'd even seen Gen's body before, when doctoring him back to health after Magma nearly killed him. No, it wasn't the fact that Gen was baring skin that caught Senku's eye: it was the firelight reflected on that pale skin that made it look both warm and soft, delicate to the touch. And for a single instant, Senku wanted to reach out and run his fingers along the length of Gen's arm. The instant vanished before he could examine in further. Gen fixed Senku with a sulky glare as he took his bowl of dinner, then smirked and canted his head in the direction Chrome had gone.

"Looks like he isn't quite over breaking things, is he?" Gen asked lightly, taking a seat by the fire.

"Guess not," Senku said with a small laugh. He set the tray down and took his own bowl of dinner: mashed grains, some overcooked berries, wild onions and bits of boar meat. Technically, it was a complete meal, loaded with necessary nutrients. In the modern age, Senku never gave much thought to the food he ate and he would have said the taste and texture were secondary to nutritional content. That was before he'd ever eaten anything cooked without taste and texture taken into account. He ate his meal, but only because it was biologically necessary.

Chrome slunk back to the fire pit and grabbed a bowl from the tray without saying a word. He smiled sheepishly at Senku, then took a seat almost across the fire from him. Damn, Senku thought, resigning himself to another awkward night. Maybe it would be better if he took his bedding outside and slept by the fire rather than in Chrome's hut.

Suika leapt up from her seat beside Kohaku and exchanged her empty bowl for a full one (the Kingdom of Science usually picked up a few extra dinner plates because there was no knowing how many people might choose to stay late some days). She plopped down on a split log next to Gen, swinging her legs cheerfully as she requested a story.

"Hm," Gen said thoughtfully. "What kind of story do you want to hear tonight?"

"The great detective story!" Suika cried out exuberantly. "Because Suika is a great detective, too!"

Gen laughed and Senku challenged himself to figure out whether it was a genuine laugh or not. The skin around Gen's eyes crinkled, his ears lifted slightly, and the curl of his lips and his body language suggested he was fond of Suika, but all of those indicators came from one of Gen's own books, so Senku took his own assessment with a grain of salt.

"Let's see," Gen mused. "I told you the one with the big, scary dogs already, right?"

"Yep!" Suika swooped low to pat her puppy on the head.

Gen hummed for a moment. "I think I remember another detective story. You might like this one: there's a witty and charming woman in it."

Suika squealed in delight before settling down to listen.

Senku hadn't been paying attention when Gen had first begun telling old stories around the fire, but it was a favorite past time not just for Suika, but for the other villagers as well. Chrome usually asked about a hundred questions afterwards about the modern inventions mentioned in the story, which was why, Senku guessed, Gen kept his stories to period pieces, rather than more modern ones. Sometimes when there were more village children working in the Kingdom of Science, Gen would tell popular children's stories, even going so far as to perform the character's voices. While most would have called the act endearing, for Senku, it meant that the great works of the modern age weren't entirely lost. If Gen could recite classical literature and children’s books from memory, then surely there were people who could reconstruct Shakespeare, recompose the greatest symphonies, recreate the lost works of art. Nothing would be exactly the same, of course, but at least the knowledge wasn't entirely lost, either. Just as science wasn't entirely lost.

Chrome and Kohaku listened to Gen as he told the story of Irene Adler, but Senku set his empty dinner bowl aside and began scratching notes to himself in the dirt. What did he need to begin making an oil of the eucalyptus leaves? How long would the leaves have to stew? And after he had the oil, how would he use it? He sketched a list of necessary items, pleased to note that he had most of what he needed already. But calculating the necessary ingredients to make the oil...that was a bit of a problem. And even after the oil, they would need syrup and resin, which meant spiles placed before the trees could get too cold. The village already had a method collecting syrup, but Senku was sure he could construct a few better spiles, not only yielding more syrup and resin for himself, but for the village at large. He'd have to leave instructions for Kaseki before going to collect more leaves tomorrow.

Senku blinked, surprised to find himself staring at Gen. No, that wasn't right. He'd been staring _through_ Gen as he'd considered a more modern design on a spile. But now that he realized it, he found his gaze caught. Gen had handed his unfinished dinner over to Suika, something he did most nights as the gruel of mash didn't fit his delicate taste. He spoke with his hands, sometimes casting shadows and sometimes using flourishes of flowers to embellishment a moment of shock and surprise, though without his overcoat full of hidden pockets, he couldn't do that this night. No, instead he leaned back in his seat, pale, slim legs stretched towards the fire, the cloth around his waist slid back, exposing more of his thighs than before. His arms were bare up to his shoulders and as his hands caught the light of the fire, Senku saw the mentalist hadn't been lying about the water drying out his skin: his knuckles were already raw and stretched, a precursor to breaking and bleeding. Yet he smiled as he spoke, weaving his tale for his audience.

Senku scrubbed out his notes in the dirt with a toe, stacked his dinner bowl on the tray with the others, then went to the laboratory, propping the animal skin door open to let in the firelight so he could see. He found the jar of ointment he'd been looking for, then set it on the lab table before grabbing a piece of slate that he often used as a primitive chalkboard. Step by step, he began listing the instructions for reducing down the eucalyptus leaves into an oil. He turned his back on the fire so he could see the slate, squinting as the light grew dim in order to write as neatly as the broken stone in his hand would allow. He didn't notice when Gen's voice faded out in the background and only squinted harder when the fire was banked, dimming the light substantially. He only looked up when Chrome called out to him, his arms loaded with beakers inverted on drying racks.

"Coming through," Chrome said, chuckling nervously. "I didn't want to leave these out overnight in case it rains."

"Good call," Senku said, but in honesty, seeing that much glass in Chrome's arms made him nervous. He backed out of the lab, grabbing the jar of ointment from the table. "Are there anymore out there?"

"No, this is it," Chrome said, clearly moving slowly and carefully, his eyes down as he placed the rack down in the center of the table.

"I'll get out of your way, then." Senku backed out of the lab, hoping his absence would protect his precious glassware. The clearing around Chrome's hut was familiar to Senku now, but with the fire burnt down to little more than red embers, the shadows appeared deeper, more ominous. No one sat around the fire pit anymore and while Senku didn't see Kohaku or Suika, he did see Gen standing beside the ladder to Chrome's hut. He'd changed back into his pants and kimono--dry now--and was shaking out his overcoat, frowning in dismay.

"Here," Senku said, pushing the jar of ointment into Gen's hand. "What's the matter? Is it still wet?"

"Damp," Gen replied with a huff. "What is this?"

"Lotion for your hands, just without all the perfumes you're probably used to. Why didn't you hang your clothes by the fire?"

"I don't want the dye to fade any faster than it already is," Gen replied, still a touch huffy. But he draped his overcoat over his arm and dipped his fingers in the ointment before handing the jar back to Senku. He gave the lotion a sniff before smoothing it over his knuckles. "I didn't know you'd made a skincare product."

"I work with a lot of acids and bases in the lab, so I wash my hands a lot. The wind chaps my skin, too."

"Always so practical." Gen finished smoothing the lotion over his hands, folded his arms in front of him, then took a step.

"Where are you going?" Senku asked, confused.

"Back to the village," Gen replied, as if it were obvious. "If I hurry, I might catch up to Suika-chan and Kohaku-chan."

"You should just stay," Senku rationalized. "That way, you can get right to work on the eucalyptus oil in the morning."

"Oh, that's why I should stay?" Gen asked, the dying firelight illuminating a faint smirk. "It's not that I don't love manual labor first thing in the morning, it's just...I don't love it."

"It's dark," Senku pointed out. "The trail isn't well-marked. You could get lost. Or eaten by a predator."

"Your concern for my well-being is overwhelming," Gen said drily, still walking away. He raised a hand behind him in farewell. 

Senku frowned, staring after him. I _want_ him to stay, he thought. But I don't understand why I want that. Is it some manipulation he worked on me? Is there another reason he should stay?

"Ah, Gen!" Chrome called as he closed up the lab for the night. "You're leaving?"

"Is that such a surprise?" Gen asked, stopping and turning around. He looked smaller, somehow, without his overcoat on.

"Uh, do you want to just...stay?" Chrome asked, the tone of his voice strangely strained. "I heated some water for tea and, uh...I had some questions about the things in your story tonight."

Oh, Senku realized. I don't want Gen to stay for Gen's sake; I want Gen to stay to alleviate tension between me and Chrome. And I guess Chrome feels the same way.

"Well..." Gen glanced back at the shadowed trail, considering.

"You've already missed Suika and Kohaku," Senku called. "Just room with us tonight."

"Fine," Gen sasid, turning with a put-upon air. "I suppose I'd rather stay here and let my clothes dry all the way, anyway."

Senku climbed up into the hut first and clicked on the single battery-powered lightbulb he'd installed in the hut, a rare and precious luxury here in the stone world. Gen climbed up next, followed by Chrome. The space was cramped, especially as the three of them cast off their clothes to sleep. Senku hung his lab coat over the corner of one of Chrome's collection shelves, Chrome draped his clothes over the doorway after dropping the curtain over it. Gen fastidiously hung his clothes from the ends of the rod that held the doorway drape in place, his pale skin looking jaundiced in the yellow light. After undressing, Chrome and Senku rolled out the bedding over the floor and scattered the few available pillows. None of it was what Senku would have called "comfortable" but he'd more than gotten used to it by now. Once everything was set up for bed, Chrome poured tea into clay cups, a nightly ritual.

"So, Chrome," Gen said sweetly, sitting in the center of the bedding, his knees drawn up to his chest. "What questions did you have for me?"

"Um..." Chrome focused hard on pouring tea for a moment; Senku got the feeling he was trying not to spill or break anything. "The carriages you kept mentioning: those are the cars that Senku talks about?"

"Not in that story, no," Gen said, linking his fingers and stretching, the knobs of his spine standing out in stark relief against his back. "The Sherlock Holmes stories take place in the 1800s. I don't believe cars existed back then, but I'm sure Senku-chan would be able to tell us for sure."

"The first gas-powered car was invented in the late 1800s," Senku recited from memory. "But they weren't available to purchase commercially until the early 1900s. The carriages in the Sherlock Holmes stories were pulled by horses."

"Oh." Chrome thought for a moment. "Could we use horses to pull carriages?"

Senku grinned. "Sure. You got a horse stashed away somewhere?"

"...No."

"Be nice, Senku-chan." Gen gave him a patronizing look before patting Chrome on the top of his head. "He's so rude when it comes to other people's ideas and their suggestions about things. Like not wanting to get their clothes wet."

Senku rolled his eyes. "The most interesting technological part of that story was the smoke rocket. That's something we could recreate scientifically even now, if we really had to."

"The smoke rocket?" Gen asked thoughtfully. "What about the train?"

Senku waved a hand dismissively. "We can't build a train. We don't have enough steel. Or coal. We don't even have anything worth moving that would require a steam engine."

"I thought you said engines were either electric or gas-powered?" Chrome asked, confused.

"The first trains ran on steam," Senku explained. "But they were massive and slow, and took about ten billion hours of manpower and labor that we don't have. Most trains run on electricity now."

"Then," Gen said, just a touch wistful as he handed a steaming mug of tea over to Senku. "Almost four thousand years ago, inner city transit trains ran on electricity."

Senku thought to laugh, but found he couldn't. For once, he actually recognized the expression on Gen's face: longing. Senku felt that--the longing of an age past, an age of public transportation and smart phones, of convenience stores and soda pop, of enough light to drive back the night and the canned sound of TV laughter. He thought he'd mostly gotten over missing the past, but seeing the longing on Gen's face brought it all back. Though he was pretty good at pushing his emotions down, this one snuck up on him, all by the look on Gen's face.

Gen glanced over, his expression softening behind the veil of steam rising from his own tea. "Do you know what I miss the most, Senku?"

"Pedicures?" Senku asked offhandedly, trying to diffuse the tightness he felt in his chest and throat.

Gen chuckled and glanced down at his bare feet. "No, but if you never had one, then you are missing out on a modern age wonder. No, what I miss is much simpler than that."

"Simpler," Senku murmured, sipping his tea as he thought. "Television? Running water? Basic health care?"

"Not even close," Gen laughed, cupping his tea in both hands and holding it close to his chest.

"What then?" It had to be something frivolous, knowing Gen.

Gen turned, looked Senku dead in the eye and said: "Toilet paper."

Senku stared back for a beat.

Then roared in laughter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Science has rules. Directions. Recipes. Paths that can be followed to secure an assured outcome. But navigating emotions, relationships and sexuality... There is no charted course, no trodden path, no true north.
> 
> But that doesn't mean there isn't a way forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as a note to be clear, identifying as asexual does not **always** mean sex-averse, which is how I’m writing Senku in this fic. Sex isn’t particularly motivating for him, so he’s uninterested in it as a whole. But there are plenty of reasons why someone who identifies as asexual might engage in sex, and that’s what I explore here. Like many of LBGTQIA+ identities, asexual is a spectrum, with varied expressions, preferences, wants and needs.

After two more days of picking eucalyptus leaves, Senku set Gen to the task of turning the leaves into oil, which could then be used to create cough drops, topical treatments and medicine. Gen complained, but it wasn't all that hard--especially not when Senku wrote down the instructions step-by-step for him to follow. Senku never thought he'd miss the written word, but Ishigami Village had no writing system outside of pictographic representation, so Senku had to explain everything orally, even to Chrome. He didn't mind it so much, but it was wearying sometimes, and images could be misconstrued, especially in regards to size. All in all, it was a relief to be able to hand at least one person a set of written instructions and know that they could read and follow it.

For his part, Gen wasn't too put out in following the recipe. All he really had to do was measure out the ratio of leaves to oil, then set the clay pots in the central fire pit all day long. The most difficult task, really, was simply keeping the fire hot. He complained a little and even went so far as to set his overcoat up on sticks like a tent near the fire pit to keep the sun off his skin. But all in all, it was an easy task.

While the eucalyptus turned into a usable oil, Senku worked with Kaseki to create iron spiles for sap collection. That was the next big project: getting enough syrup and resin to turn the eucalyptus into cough drops. The village did have some means of collecting syrup and resin, but they were far from efficient. While Gen cooked up pots and pots of eucalyptus oil, Senku created fistfuls of the handy little spiles that could get the best yields of tree sap. As soon as Gen finished the last of the oil, Senku was ready to begin placing the spiles.

Well, not personally, of course. He'd ask Kohaku to help, as usual, along with Kinro and Ginro if they weren't on guard duty.

Senku woke up early, as usual, his brain already creating a to-do list as he stretched as long as he could in the cramped hut. The first priority of the day would be placing as many spiles as possible before the trees became too cold. The temperature had been dropping lately and even as Senku awoke, he felt a chill breeze sneak in beneath the animal-skin door draped over the hut's entrance.

With a groan, Senku kicked the blankets free and stood, running a hand through his hair once before grabbing his lab coat and tying it on. He'd need to switch to something warmer soon, but with a full day of activity ahead of him, the old lab coat would do. He pushed the door flap partially open, letting in a thin trickle of sunlight, then sat with his back to the wall so he could peer outside. Moments of peace and quiet like this one were rare in the stone world and Senku liked to use them to organize his thoughts, double-check his facts and consider next steps moving forward on all his various projects.

A tiny noise distracted him. Senku looked around, saw nothing, then went back to his thoughts.

The tiny noise came again.

Frowning, Senku looked around the hut again, actually focusing on its two other inhabitants this time. There. It was Gen. Senku had kicked the blankets off of him when he got up and now Gen was shivering with cold.

It's time to get up anyway, Senku thought ruthlessly. The cold will wake him up.

But at another meek-sounding whimper from Gen, Senku flipped the blankets back over him. The noise was preventing him from concentrating.

Unfortunately, only a moment after that, Chrome began to stretch and wake. A loud yawn, then Chrome sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Breakfast here yet?" Chrome asked blearily.

"Not yet," Senku reported, looking out towards the village. In order to keep wildlife away from their tiny outpost, they rarely kept any food at Chrome's hut overnight. Breakfast usually arrived with Kohaku or Kaseki, or anyone else looking to put in a little work for the Kingdom of Science for the day. Senku could see the cook fires in the village, though, and figured breakfast was likely on its way already.

"We're collecting sap today, right?" Chrome asked, standing and dressing. It had taken four days, but Chrome finally seemed to be over his embarrassment of his confession. Or, rather, over Senku's rejection of said confession. He'd gone a whole day without breaking anything and he'd even brushed past Senku in the lab the day before without spilling what he was carrying or stuttering an apology.

"Eh, not exactly," Senku corrected, digging wax from his ear. "We'll be placing the spiles for syrup and resin today, but it'll be weeks before we'll have enough to actually use. We won't even get all that much before winter hits, but if we place the spiles now, we'll have a lot of syrup come springtime."

"I thought we were going to make the medicine before winter?" Chrome asked, tying his hair back from his face.

"We should get just enough for what we need," Senku allowed. "But it'll still take a few weeks, if not a month or more. And even then, I'm not certain if we'll keep the wildlife from--"

"Do much talking too early in the morning," Gen moaned. His hand groped about like a pale spider until he found Chrome's discarded blanket and pulled it on top of himself, burrowing in deeper. "It's cold, Senku-chan. Shut the door."

Senku laughed as he set his foot against Gen's hip and shoved, spilling him out of his nest of blankets. "Out of all of us, you should be the one getting up. We all know how long your beauty ritual takes you in the morning."

"I refuse to be bullied over something as necessary as personal hygiene," Gen replied with a haughty sniff. "And what do you need me for, anyway? I'm not going to be of any use in placing spiles inside of tree trunks."

"You and I are going to label the trees for Chrome and Kohaku to place spiles in," Senku explained, rolling up his bedroll now that Gen was up. "You do know which ones are maple trees, don't you?"

"As long as they still have the leaves on them, otherwise a tree is a tree is a tree," Gen replied tartly. He pulled on his kimono, tying it with a short length of rope rather than his obi. Most mornings he held off on fully dressing until after he'd bathed. He threw a towel over his shoulder, then made a token effort to help clear the blankets and pillows. "Senku-chan, I have to ask: What is your hygiene plan for when it gets too cold to bathe outside?"

"Easy." Senku grinned evilly. "I plan on going up to the hot springs once a week with the villagers to bathe."

"Once a week?!" Gen looked horrified. "But Senku-chan, you're from the era of hot showers and shampoo bottles and luffas! How can you stand only bathing once a week?"

Senku rolled his eyes. "Aside from washing cuts and abrasions, and, of course, washing your hands before meals and after the bathroom, there really isn't a need to wash every single day. Not in the stone world. We're not surrounded by car exhaust or cleaning chemicals or biologically enhanced soil. The worst thing you're cleaning off yourself is sweat, and that's going to be less of an issue come winter."

"Sweat is gross," Gen informed him sternly. "And now if you'll excuse me. This entire conversation is making me feel dirty and not in a good way."

Chrome waited to speak until Gen climbed down from the hut. "I really don't get his obsession with bathing every day," he admitted, stacking all the folded blankets neatly in a corner.

"Most people from our era bathed every day or at least every other day." Senku tried not to think about hot showers and running water. "It's less necessary in this stone world, but people don't always do things just because they're necessary. Sometimes it's just nice to feel clean."

Chrome shrugged. "Isn't that why we go up to the hot springs once a week?"

Senku grinned and laughed; there was no way he could explain the pleasure of a long hot shower to someone who had never experienced it before. He helped Chrome finish tidying up the inside of the hut so they could grab Chrome's collected materials throughout the day as they needed them, ignoring Gen's clothing still hanging from shelves and rods around the tiny room. Chrome shivered as he drew back the animal skin cover over the door.

"We're gonna have to install the winter door soon," he said, climbing down the ladder. "The weather is starting to turn bad."

"Yeah," Senku murmured. He was waiting for Chrome to get down the ladder before starting down on his own, but movement at the central fire pit caught his eye. Gen, wearing only his kimono, had wedged a clay pot of water in among the coals of the fire and was using it to bathe. He'd slipped the kimono off his shoulders, baring them to cold morning air as he scrubbed his skin with a sudsy cloth. As Seku watched, Gen twisted the cloth over the fire, then dipped it in the water to rinse the soap from his body before soaping up the cloth again. This time, he drew his knee up, kimono sliding up his thighs as he ran the cloth from his ankle up, up and up before scrubbing vigorously with the soap.

Gen actually improved on Senku’s very basic soaps by pressing flowers and leaves into them, infusing them with scent. It wasn’t necessary for cleanliness, but even Senku had to admit, it made sleeping next to Gen better than sleeping next to Chrome.

Bath houses, Senku found himself thinking. How difficult would it be to create stone age bath houses?

"Hey, Senku!" Chrome called up, looking confused. "Are you coming down? We have to start the forge fires for Kaseki and the others."

"Ah, yeah. Coming." Senku climbed down the ladder, the image of Gen bathing already pushed out of his mind by thoughts of what needed to be done that morning. Once all the kiln fires were started and the lab officially opened for the day, Kohaku had arrived with breakfast and Gen had retreated back to Chrome's hut to fully dress. Not that it would have mattered to anyone if he wore only the kimono: even just that one article of clothing covered him more completely than Kohaku's dress did her, but then he would likely be without his little pockets full of tricks that he enjoyed so much.

"What type of trees did you say we needed, Senku?" Kohaku asked, distributing bowls of food not unsimilar to the dinner the night before.

"Mostly maple for syrup," Senku explained, not looking at his food so he could eat it without thinking about it. "And some pine for resin. We need a lot more syrup than resin, so we'll focus mainly on maple trees."

"So we're just hammering these bad little things into the trees and syrup will just come out?" Chrome asked, examining a spile as he ate his breakfast.

"Not exactly." Senku chuckled. "If you hammer the spile itself, you'll crack it. You'll want to drive a spike into the trunk first, then fit the spile inside the hole. That groove on the top of the spile is for a bucket to collect the syrup, but Kaseki is still working on buckets that can keep rain and animals out while protecting the syrup."

"That makes it sound like we're going to have to make a second excursion into the woods," Gen groaned, approaching the little group fully dressed with his arms inside his sleeves as usual. "Once to place the spiles and again to place the buckets."

"And again to collect the buckets," Senku pointed out with a grin. "Get excited, Gen. This was your idea after all."

They didn't leave right away, as Senku had some design ideas for the collection buckets he needed to share with Kaseki. Suika stayed behind to help the craftsman and, unfortunately, Kinro and Ginro had guard duty, which meant they couldn't accompany Senku's group into the forest. But Chrome was fit and strong enough to place spiles and Kohaku was as good a protector as anyone, so as soon as breakfast was finished, the group of four headed off into the trees that lined the common trails used for hunting and gathering.

"Stay close," Kohaku warned. "This is the time of year when bears come close enough to threaten our hunters and steal their kills."

"Makes sense," Senku said with a chuckle. "Bears are getting ready for winter too this time of year."

"Have you considered how you'll keep bears from getting into the syrup buckets?" Gen asked, seemingly curious. "A lid might stop rats and birds, but that won't stop a bear."

"By the time these buckets have enough to be worth stealing, all the bears should be hibernating," Senku explained. "We'll get our highest yields once the trees begin to thaw in early spring. Before winter, we'll be lucky to even get a liter of syrup out of all our tapped trees combined and we'll be placing most of the spiles along the trail, so hopefully all the activity from the villagers is enough to scare the bears away."

"Or, if a bear does mess with a bucket, it might be distracted enough for one of our hunters to get it." Kohaku grinned savagely. "We don't get bear meat often, but we usually celebrate as a village when we do."

Senku laughed at the face Gen made. "What? Does the thought of eating bear meat upset our dear mentalist?"

"I remember reading something once," Gen said, musingly. He walked with his hands in his sleeves, as usual not looking tired or sweaty at all, but then he was only carrying a woven basket of a few iron spiles, just as Senku was. "Can't you get salmonella from eating bear meat?"

"Not salmonella. Trichinosis." It was a surprise that someone like Gen would know that. "As long as you cook the meat to an internal temperature of fifty-five degrees Celsius, it should be fine."

"Ah, yes, of course." Gen smiled brightly as he nodded. "And I'm certain all the highly trained village chefs are diligent about calibrating their meat thermometers after each use, and thoroughly clean their stainless-steel ovens and broilers every night."

Senku cut a glare at him. Chrome and Kohaku just looked confused. Gen kept smiling brightly until Senku sighed.

"Yes, there is a risk in eating omnivore meat if it hasn't been properly cooked," Senku admitted finally. "But we eat boar meat a few times a week and that carries the same risk, so the village cooks must know something about proper meat temperatures."

Gen hummed thoughtfully, his gaze up on the leafy tree branches overlapping the trail. "I only eat the meat that's been cooked in stews. Doesn't a longer cook time make a difference for trichinosis?"

Senku smirked and laughed. "Are you sure you were a mentalist and not a chef? Or did you just read cookbooks for fun?"

Gen's grin held an edge. "I dined with a lot of actors and agents back in the day. Ate at a lot of chef's tables, where they explain the food and the method behind its presentation. And I happen to have a pretty good memory."

"What is a chef's table?" Chrome asked.

"Wait, are you saying we don't cook our meat well enough?" Kohaku added on.

"Gather 'round, my children, and I shall tell you of the wonders of restaurants and fine dining of days long past," Gen said, sweeping his arms wide as he spoke in his storyteller's voice.

"No time for that," Senku interrupted. He rapped his knuckles against the trunk of a maple tree along the path. "We're not out here for story time, we're out here to work."

Gen folded his arms back inside his sleeves, falling silent as Senku explained to Kohaku where the spike should be driven into the tree, then showed Chrome how to hammer the spile into place gently, so as not to damage the spout where the syrup would flow.

"I still don't understand why I had to come on this trip," Gen said as they moved onto the next tree.

"Maybe I just like watching you pretend you're not hot," Senku teased.

Gen grinned. "Why, Senku, you're welcome to stare at me anytime, we don't have to go off into the woods for that."

Chrome swore as his hands slipped on the spile, his palm scraping over the sharp spout. Senku caught his hand and turned it over, already reaching into a pouch on his belt for some antibacterial solution and bandages. He changed his mind when he saw it was merely a scrape, not the cut he'd expected and instead poured water over the injury just to wash it out.

"Be careful," Senku admonished as Chrome patted his hand dry. "We're too far away from camp to treat any big injuries, and no one likes blood touching a food source." He examined the spile wedged inside the tree, giving it a few tugs to see if it would come loose. He nodded his satisfaction and pointed to the next maple along the trail. "The same thing again on that one."

~*~^~*~

Gen caught Chrome's sulky, accusatory glare before the self-proclaimed scientist followed Senku and Kohaku to the next maple. He merely smiled back blithely, pretending he didn't understand what the glare was for. At the beginning of all of this, when Gen suggested they turn eucalyptus leaves into cough drops and ointment, Chrome had seemed grateful for the distraction, even welcomed Gen into his hut every night since, just as a buffer between Chrome and his failed confession. Only now was he beginning to suspect that Gen might have had an ulterior motive all along. It likely wouldn't be long before Gen found himself back in a bachelor hut in the village, rather than welcome in Chrome and Senku's home in the Kingdom of Science. Ah, well. Some things couldn't be helped.

It would be nice to build myself a little home in the Kingdom of Science, Gen mused, following behind the little group as they worked on stabbing spiles into tree trunks. But I don't exactly work an acceptable stone-world trade and with nothing to barter, my only option is to build my own hut.

Gen would _not_ be building his own hut.

After the first three trees had been tapped to Senku's specifications, he moved ahead along the trail, marking the desired maple trees with a red paint so that Chrome and Kohaku would know which trees to spike. Gen followed along behind, blank smile in place, his arms tucked in his sleeves.

"Is there a certain criteria you're using to pick which trees get spiles?" Gen asked after a few moments of silence.

"Mostly bole width," Senku replied, considering one tree deeply before moving on. "I want them close together so they're easy to collect, but not so close that a single bear can rampage through all of them in one go. The fact that this is a human footpath should keep bears away, but it's hard to predict animal behavior when there's an easy food source available right before winter."

"If nothing else, the syrup might lure some bears in for the villagers to kill," Gen pointed out helpfully. "A bear or two would feed a lot of villagers. Not me, of course. I might stick to fish from now on."

"Fish aren't free of parasites, either," Senku pointed out, dabbing a splash of red on a trunk with his crude paintbrush. "Although it is rare, especially in water as clean as the lake."

"This pure world does have some nice things about it," Gen admitted, tipping his head back to look through the leaf canopy, to the blue sky beyond. "Clean water. Clear skies. No radiation or toxic chemicals."

"People dying of simple diseases, or the elements, or animal attacks," Senku continued with a smirk. "No means of sharing information, traveling, or even a written language."

"The written language thing really bothers you, doesn't it?" Gen asked, tipping his head to the side as he watched Senku. They were stepping off the trail now: Senku had marked about a dozen maple trees and now they had to find some pine trees for resin. Gen took the time to scuff an arrow marker into the dirt of the path, indicating to Kohaku and Chrome where they'd gone.

"Why do you think that bothers me?" Senku asked as he stepped over a fallen tree, moving carefully to keep his lab coat from catching on the broken-off branches. "Why not guess I'm bothered by people dying from things we fixed thousands of years ago?"

"It's not a guess," Gen huffed, hopping lightly onto the fallen tree before hopping down again. "I'm not saying you prefer the maladies and injuries that affect the villagers, but you've successfully monetized the solutions of the past in order to gain trust and labor from them, so those issues are actually to your advantage. A written language, however, isn't easily monetized as it doesn't solve a current issue for the villagers of Ishigami Village, it would just make your life more convenient if you could leave lists of instructions from Chrome-chan and Kaseki-ojiichan the same way you can write out a list of instructions for me." Gen paused a moment, considering Senku's back just ahead of him. "And this is more of a guess on my part, but I assume you miss reading as a form of entertainment well."

Senku grunted, distracted as he used a heavy branch to sweep a thorny bush out of his way. He held the bush back, allowing Gen to pass, then Gen grabbed the branch from the far side, holding the bush back so Senku could pass. Senku wiped sweat from his forehead and tugged at the collar of his lab coat, breathing a bit heavy. "I do miss reading. Not just for entertainment, but for new knowledge, too. If there's anything that really bothers me, it’s the fact that humanity will never get back the time it lost. We could have been making new advancements over the past three thousand, seven hundred years. Instead, we're struggling just to regain what was lost. Who knows when we'll go back to advancing medical and technological sciences again?"

"Or you could look at it as an opportunity for science to start over," Gen suggested. When Senku narrowed his eyes at him, Gen raised his shoulders in a defensive shrug. "Not entirely, I mean, but you have to admit, this world is a clean slate. Half the reason corporations and governments refused to change anything was because it would cost too much to rebuild production factories from the ground-up. Now, when they do begin rebuilding, they can do it with all the environmental safeguards already in place."

"If they want to," Senku said, marking a pine tree for a spile. "Unless all the depetrified humans demand immediate solutions, in which case corporations will choose efficiency over environmentalism. And right now, there aren't any governments regulating anything like that."

"Hmm." Gen contemplated while Senku marked another tree. "Do you think the reason all of humanity was petrified was to protect everyone while giving the planet a chance to reset? Some kind of environmental renewal process?"

Senku rounded on Gen, a zealous light in his eyes. "So you think someone petrified humanity on purpose?"

Gen backed up, surprised. "I...suppose? What do you think happened?"

"I have theories," Senku admitted, looking around for another tree to mark. He stomped down the bracken to get to it. "I want a little more time to study the phenomena before I postulate anything. I'd hoped to have time after Taiju revived, but then..."

"Tsukasa and the impending war between science and might, yes, I know," Gen assured him. "To be honest, I haven't given it much thought, either. Which is strange, now I say it out loud. Still, you must have some--"

"Quiet," Senku said, frowning as his eyes scanned the underbrush.

"Quiet?" Gen asked, amused. "These must be some wily pine trees we're--"

Gen cut off as Senku's hand covered his mouth. Despite the fact that his entire plan revolved around making Senku initiate contact with him, Gen very nearly backed away: Senku's palms were sticky with tree sap and smeared with red paint. Before he could, however, he heard the sound that had Senku on high alert.

It was a meow. If you could call the sound a lion makes a meow: low and hollow sounding, rising up at the end like a question. Terror turning his heartbeat up to a rapid tempo, Gen scanned the trees, too, stopping when he saw the tawny lion pop its head over a low bush. When it saw them, it made its questing meow-noise again.

When Gen spoke, his words were muffled in Senku's palm: "What's it doing? What's that noise?"

"I think it's a juvenile," Senku murmured, voice low, eyes locked on the lion, which certainly _looked_ large enough to eat them both. "We can outrun it."

"C-c-can't outrun a lion," Gen stammered, shaking his head. He could feel his knees start shaking beneath him. "It's impossible."

"I've outrun lions before," Senku argued, his hand still in front of Gen's mouth, but not holding as tightly anymore.

Gen shook his head harder. "No no no, a lion can run fifty miles an hour, and fastest human on earth can only run--"

"The fastest human on earth was clocked on a running track in a controlled environment," Senku replied. "He wasn't motivated by a hungry lion."

The lion's meow changed to something like a growl-cough. He ducked his head low to the ground, yellow eyes sizing the two of them up. Gen's throat issued an unmanly sound; at any moment he was sure he would wet himself.

"Can't you just believe you can outrun it?" Senku asked.

"It doesn't work like that," Gen hissed back. It was unbelievable that Senku would tease him at a time like--

Gen blinked.

Was Senku's hand shaking?

Perspiration slid down the column of Senku's neck, the ball of his throat bobbing with a hard swallow. Senku was just as scared as Gen was, he was just doing a better job at hiding it. The lion hadn't pounced or come closer, it merely stared at them from a distance. Gen swallowed, pushed Senku's hand away from his face and tried to think through his panic.

Why wasn't the lion coming any closer? And why was it making that sound? Weren't lions supposed to be silent hunters? Did that mean that this one wasn't hunting? What was it doing on its own then?

Gen felt lightning-struck as it came to him: Senku was right! It was a juvenile! (No matter how big it looked.)

"Senku-chan!" Gen said, voice low. "It's a baby that got separated from its pack. We might be able to scare it away."

Senku blinked, then shook out his arms and nodded. "Let's try it. On three?"

"One, two--" On three, they threw their arms up, shouting and running at the young lion. It squalled and scrambled in surprise, spinning about and leaping away in the direction it had come. Which was a good thing, because after only a step, Gen's knees had given way and he'd collapsed to the ground, twigs snapping beneath him as he fell.

Senku stumbled into the nearest tree, catching himself against as he laughed hysterically. Gen didn't see what was so funny, but when he tried to ask, he found himself laughing, too. Perhaps it was the body's way of relieving extreme stress: there weren't too many studies of the psychological reaction to being hunted. But hysteria seemed appropriate. When Gen finally ran out of air to laugh, he tried to stand. He blinked at the hand extended down to him, then smiled as he took it. Senku was still grinning as he helped Gen to his feet.

"That was a good idea, to scare it."

"I wouldn't have thought of it if you hadn't recognized it as a juvenile."

"I didn't realize we had gotten so far ahead of Kohaku and Chrome." Senku looked as relieved as Gen felt, and when he stepped in close, Gen found his heart pounding for a different reason entirely. Was it possible that even Senku might desire a little life-affirming action after a near-death experience? Gen swallowed as Senku leaned in even closer. “Interesting.”

“Wh-what’s interesting?” Gen asked, still shaken, but certainly not above taking advantage of a presented opportunity.

His heart just about seized when Senku ran a finger down Gen’s throat. “I don’t think I’ve seen you sweat before, mentalist.”

Gen laughed breathily. “Mind tricks don’t work so well when the body is under immense—"

An ear-splitting roar reverberated throughout the forest, shaking the trees and sending birds into flight and squirrels racing away. Senku and Gen froze, then slowly looked back the way the lion had gone. A chorus of higher-pitched roars and snarls joined in, though they sounded far away.

"That didn't sound like a baby," Gen whimpered.

"I think we run now," Senku suggested.

Gen was already turning around, tripping as he tried to convince his knees to support his weight.

"Not that way!" Senku grabbed Gen's overcoat, tugging him north, rather than back towards the trail. "We can't lead them back to the village."

"Why not?" Gen asked, stumbling along behind Senku. "Kohaku is more than a match for a lion and she had her sword on her!"

"Kohaku may be a match for a lion, but not a whole pride," Senku pointed out. "Maybe if we had Kinro and Ginro with us, but--" He swore as he tripped over a rotting log, barely catching himself before he fell flat. "How did we get so far ahead of them? I thought they were following us."

"I made a mark on the trail for them, but--" Gen had to tear his coat free from a thorny bush, then felt the whip weal of a thin branch snapping across his face after Senku charged through it. Hand clasped to his stinging cheek, Gen called: "Where are we going, Senku?"

"I don't know," Senku called back, which was not reassuring. "Maybe they'll find easier prey, or they'll lose interest in tracking us or--"

The roar that made them both jump and cry out fearfully sounded much closer than the last roar had. They put on a burst of speed, crashing wildly through undergrowth, barely looking where they were going. Gen clutched a stitch in his side and blinked sweat and tears out of his eyes and for one terrifying moment, he lost sight of Senku. A glance over his shoulder revealed that he'd simply passed Senku: even with a stitch in his side and thorns and twigs cutting into his bare feet, Gen was the faster and Senku was flagging.

"Hurry up, Senku!" Gen called back, his heart hammering at the back of his throat. "If we give them a chance, they'll surround us! We need a plan!"

"A...plan..." Senku panted, struggling to keep up. "They run faster, they swim faster, they climb faster, they smell and track better...what kind of plan do you want me to come up with while running like this?"

"I don't know! Fire, maybe?" But even as he said it, Gen could tell the undergrowth beneath his feet was too wet for a good fire to catch. And starting one would take too long anyway. But running blindly--especially running blindly **away** from the village--wasn't going to help, either. At some point, the lions were bound to catch up to them, and then--

A cry and a crash from behind him nearly sent Gen's heart leaping out of his mouth. He turned back to find Senku sprawled on the forest floor, his foot caught beneath a lifted root, his skin scratched and red from brambles and branches, his chest rising and falling rapidly with panicked breaths, his eyes wide with fear. Gen helped Senku free his foot from the root, putting one arm across his shoulders to lift Senku back to his feet. He saw the pained clench of Senku's jaw when he tried to put weight on his ankle.

"I'm fine," Senku panted, looking back over his shoulder. "We need to keep running or--"

"We need a plan," Gen argued, leaning Senku against a tree by his shoulder. "I can give us a minute, maybe, so try and think of something."

Gen sifted through his pockets, looking for the bits and bobs he'd collected whenever he went walking on his own. He didn't have very much, but he had created a mixture of seeds, wild onions, peppers and garlic that smelled powerfully potent. He'd sewn the mixture into a leather pouch, which he now crushed between his palms, mixing it up to get it as fine as possible, then tested the wind so the mixture wouldn't blow back in their faces. He hoped it would disorient the lions' noses, covering their scents for at least a minute or two. Even better would be if the scent turned the lion off the hunt, or at least blurred their eyes, but Gen didn't hope too far. He scattered the mixture over the line of bushes he and Senku had just crashed through, covering his face with one long, trailing sleeve before backing away.

"Not bad," Senku murmured as he broke a tree limb in half, testing it with his weight. He grimaced, but managed to take a step. "And I think I have an idea."

"Yes," Gen hissed gratefully. "What is it?"

"Head to the hot springs." Senku pointed to the north-east. "It's not far ahead. I think I know how to lose them."

Senku ran as well as he could on his injured ankle, using the tree branch to take as much of his weight as possible. Gen stayed close, offering his shoulder as support and hurrying Senku along whenever the ground before them was smooth enough to allow for it. Aside from the crash of their own footsteps and the occasional feline call behind them, the forest was silent: no bird or insect noise, not even the rustle of wind. It was like the world was holding its breath, waiting to see how Gen and Senku got out of this one.

Gen was curious, too.

"Go on ahead," Senku ordered, shrugging off Gen's arm when they could see the rise of the gray-brown cliffside before them. If they had followed the path, they would have come upon the trail the villagers took up to the hot springs, but breaking through the undergrowth like this, they were coming upon a sheer cliffside of rock, sand and dirt. It looked to Gen like they'd boxed themselves up neatly for a take-away dinner and he hesitated when Senku thrust him forward. "Go look for an outcropping or a ledge, something too high for a lion to jump to."

"If it's hard for a lion to get to, I don't know how we're going to get to it," Gen argued, but as another hungry roar sent tremors through to the very marrow of his bones, he raced on ahead, trusting Senku to follow. With anyone else, Gen might have worried about a self-sacrifice play, but that would never be Senku's plan. Senku always found a way to save everyone.

The cliffside looked even more impassive up close, looming stark and sheer up out of sight as Gen approached it. Maybe an experienced climber could get up it, but Gen wasn't about to attempt it without tried and tested climbing gear. Seeing no way up, Gen reached into a pocket and grabbed a handful of flowers. He trailed them behind him as he followed the wall of the cliff, like breadcrumbs for Senku to follow.

Just as Gen was panicking, alone and terrified and assuredly about to be eaten, he spotted a thin crevice between layers of rock in the cliffside. He would have missed it entirely but for a falcon taking off from it. From the ground, he couldn't tell how deep it went into the cliffside, nor how sturdy it was, but it was high up, far higher than a lion could jump or even climb, considering the sheer rock wall.

Higher than most humans could comfortably climb, too, Gen thought doubtfully, but he waited all the same. Senku was the one with the plan; all Gen could do was trust him.

Gen's trust was just about flagging when Senku rounded the curve of the mountainous hillside, panting and sweating and leaning hard on his makeshift walking stick. In his free hand, he held a coil of rope in a shaking grip.

"Where?" Senku asked shortly. Gen pointed. Senku sized up the ledge, then nodded. "Not bad, mentalist. Here."

He threw the rope, but it went wide, likely due to panic or exhaustion or both. Gen ran to catch it, undoing the tie around the center that held it in a coil.

"Now what?" Gen asked. The lions were close now: he could hear the low growls along the edge of the forest. In his mind's eye, he could see them prowling closer and closer.

"We climb," Senku said, still limping closer. "You've got better aim than me. Try to catch that branch, there."

"That's not going to hold our weight," Gen protested, eyeing the spindly tree protruding from the side of the cliff. It was lower than the ledge, but it looked as if a person might be able to reach the ledge if they were standing on the branch. Despite his doubts, Gen twirled the end of the rope for momentum, then let it fly. Years of throwing knives, darts and even cards aided his aim and the long tail of the rope draped over the high tree.

"Perfect!" Senku grabbed the coil of rope still in Gen's hands. "Can you reach the free end?"

It was a scramble up loosely packed earth and sand, but Gen was just able to grab the end of the rope he'd thrown over the tree. "What are we going to do with--"

"Got a good grip?" Senku asked, his eyes on the treeline. Looking over, Gen could just make out yellow eyes through the underbrush. "Help me out with one of your acrobatic jumps, magician!"

"My wh--What!" Senku yanked hard on the rope, nearly pulling it from Gen's grasp. Gen managed to get his feet beneath him before leaping, letting the momentum of the rope pull him upwards. At the apex of the leap, he landed on the tree growing sideways out of the cliffside. As he suspected, it was too weak to hold his weight for long. He tucked the tail of the rope into his belt, then stretched out for the lip of the crevice in the stone. A graceless scramble had him up and over the edge. The space was only large enough for him to lay along the ledge and too late he realized it was smeared with bird droppings and tiny rodent skeletons: apparently this was a favorite perch for birds of prey. Ignoring the mess, he leaned out over the edge, looking down at Senku.

A ring of lionesses were crowding him back against the cliff. Senku had dropped his walking stick and was fastidiously tying off the rope, doing his best to ignore his impending mortality, but when he looked up, Gen could see how bloodless his face looked even from the distance.

"You're going to have to pull me up!" Senku called. "I'll try to take my own weight as much as possible, but--"

A lioness leapt and Gen _yanked_ on the rope, hauling with all his strength. Senku wasn't light by any means, but it helped when he felt the rope go slack as Senku dug his hands and feet onto whatever holds he could find in the rock. Gen caught his breath and pulled again. The rope burned his hands and sometimes, despite his best efforts, Senku dropped before he could find good handholds. After a breathless eternity, Senku was finally within reach of the ledge. Gen reached down, clasped his wrist, and pulled him up.

Senku collapsed into a shaky heap on the ledge, breathless, filthy and tattered from being dragged up the cliffside. Gen inched up to peer over the edge as Senku caught his breath. The lions milled about below them, staring up as they licked their lips, growling almost constantly and attempting to climb the cliffside. Just as Gen had, they slipped in the loose dirt and sand near the base, unable to reach any higher without a human's ability to use tools.

"Looks like we're safe for now," Gen said, the waning adrenaline making him feel weak and weary. "But the lions aren't going anywhere and we don't really have the means to send a message to anyone from here."

"Eh?" Senku leaned his head on Gen's shoulder to peer down at the lions. There was barely enough space on the ledge for the both of them to fit, so some overlap was unavoidable. "Who needs to send a message when the lions are sending it for us? Chrome and Kohaku are smart enough to figure out what happened. They'll come looking for us."

"I hope they bring the cavalry along," Gen muttered, still not over his fright. His hands were still shaking, but more from rope-burn and pain than from fear, now.

"Here." Senku turned Gen's closer hand palm-up and poured a stream of water from his canteen over it. "You could easily get an infection from this. Give me your other hand. I have some distilled alcohol in a bottle, give me a moment."

After a bit of squirming to reach inside a tied belt pouch, Senku uncorked a clay jar and the unmistakable scent of rubbing alcohol burned Gen's nose. He gritted his teeth as Senku swabbed his palms with it, cleaning the droppings off his red, chapped and bleeding hands.

"Thanks, Senku-chan," Gen said, holding his hands over the side of the ledge to let them dry. "I don't know how much it helps, seeing how I'll probably just get messy again if we ever climb down from here."

"I'll swab them again when we climb down," Senku said decisively, squirming again to put the bottle away. "Not that the alcohol is any better for your skin than cold water and wind is."

Gen huffed a laugh. "I'm a little less worried about my skin than my hide just now." He glanced sideways at Senku, aware of how close they were pressed against each other in the narrow crevice of stone. "How's your ankle? Can I do anything for it?"

Senku grimaced as Gen felt him flex his leg. "It's just a sprain. Rest and acetaminophen will fix it. I'll bind it when we get down from here, but there's nothing else to do for it, really."

"Ah." Gen shifted, grimacing as he felt bird droppings ooze through his clothes. "Do you have some sort of magic potion to get stains out of clothing?"

Senku cackled. "I was just about to switch over to winter clothes, anyway. Might toss this whole get-up and start fresh in spring."

Gen sighed. It wasn't the answer he wanted to hear, but it made sense all the same. He just regretted having to give up on his lilac overcoat: dye that color was hard to come by. He was just getting into a good sulk when he noticed Senku poking at the bird shit on the stone ledge. "Do you have to do that?"

"I was wondering if I wanted to waste my alcohol to clean it up," Senku explained. "I don't think I have enough, though. It's really bad for us to be breathing this in."

Gen's laugh was on the near-side of hysteria. "I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm looking for a safe place to hide from lions!"

Senku laughed, too, hard and long, as if exhaling his nerves, his fear, his pain. When they both stopped to catch their breath, they were pressed close, shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip, looking down at the lions at the bottom of the cliff. If the situation had been different--maybe less terrifying or even just less gross--Gen might have taken advantage of it. As it was, Gen was just grateful they had both survived it.

So far.

He was just beginning to get bored when Senku jostled his shoulder. "I think the cavalry just arrived. Look."

Looking down, Gen could see that the lions--who had begun to bed down beneath the cliff as if to say "We can do this all day"--were definitely distracted by something. Following their gaze didn't reveal anything, but then Gen's point of view was limited by the jut of the cliff. The lions stood, circling warily, then began to hiss and growl. The big male roared threateningly, but whatever the lions saw wasn't making them as hungry as the two defenseless past-timers had. In fact...were they backing away? What could lions be scared of?

Senku laughed as the scene unfolded: Chrome and Kohaku came into view, both swinging blazing torches on long poles in front of them, warding the lions back. More flames flickered in the trees, giving the impression that more fire-bearing humans were approaching from all sides. Kohaku held her sword in the hand not carrying the torch, its length gleaming threateningly, promising violence for any who didn't choose to flee. Finally, after long tense moments, the lions turned and ran, voicing their displeasure as they disappeared around the edge of the ridge.

"Chrome! Kohaku!" Senku called down, waving. "Nice timing!"

"So nice of you to leave us a trail," Kohaku called up.

"Those lions were _bad,_ Senku! Are you guys okay?" Chrome shouted.

"More or less." Gen could tell Senku was considering his ankle. "Keep those lions back for us so we can come down."

"Here." Gen took the rope, which Senku had pulled up after him. "I'll toss it over the little tree and you can use it to climb down. I'll help you down to the tree, okay?"

Senku grinned. "Good thing we got into this mess together, right? Alone, we'd have been eaten."

Gen couldn't quite bring himself to laugh, but he did grin. Whatever the reason, it suited his purpose for Senku to think of them as a pair, a unit. And this would certainly be a story worth telling. Later. When they were both safe and clean.

Gen held onto Senku's hands as Senku slipped over the edge of the crevice, his feet groping for the spindly tree down below. It didn't help that just that simple contact stung Gen's rope-burned palms, making him realize it would be that much worse when it was his turn to climb down the rope--but at least Gen wouldn't be the one limping back to camp.

"Watch out for his ankle!" Gen called down to Kohaku and Chrome once Senku was safely climbing down the rope hung over the tree. "He twisted it earlier when we were running."

"You shouldn't have gotten out of sight from us," Kohaku chided, standing beneath Senku to catch him in case he fell. Which he nearly did, so it was a good thing.

"Bad," Chrome whistled as he looped his arm beneath Senku's shoulders. "You hid in bird poop to get away from lions? So bad, Senku!"

"The hiding place was Gen's idea," Senku said, his voice strained as if he were trying to hide the fact that he'd gotten hurt. Gen dropped lightly down from the crevice to the tree, sticking his tongue out at Senku before curling himself around the dangling rope. He kicked his legs around it, trying to use his legs more than his hands, though it didn't work exactly as he'd hoped it would.

"Senku told me to find a ledge. He didn't designate that it be free of bird droppings," Gen said tartly. When he stood on solid ground, he assessed the damage to his overcoat and clothing, then sighed. "I suppose this is slightly better than blood stains and jagged holes, but just barely. Is there any chance there's a stream nearby to wash up? Even just a little?"

He felt bad instantly for suggesting it. The hot springs were close by, but the pain on Senku's face was evident: there was no way he was making a hike up to the springs.

"On second thought!" Gen said hurriedly, before anyone could reply. "Perhaps I'll just switch to winter clothes tomorrow. It's not such a big deal."

"There is a little stream just past the trail up to the springs," Kohaku said, sheathing her sword. She picked up the torch she'd driven into the ground earlier, glaring into the underbrush, watching for the return of the lions. "It isn't warm, but you can rinse off there. You both look like you need it."

"Yeah, probably a good idea to wash up before heading back," Senku said, though Gen noted his calm, even tone sounded forced. He leaned on Chrome to walk while Kohaku took the lead with her torch held before her like a weapon. Chrome had smothered his torch out and the torches that had appeared in the woods had already gone dark. "How did you make it look like there were more people coming?"

"We just made a few extra torches with dry scraps of fabric wrapped around wet branches, so the fire wouldn't catch and spread. We spaced them out while the lions were still focused on you two," Chrome explained. "They were in such a frenzy, they didn't notice Kohaku and I sneaking around in the trees."

"Chrome set some kind of fuse so the torches lit at different times," Kohaku said. "And I made sure the torches were planted deep enough not to tip or fall over. I was hoping at least one lion would stay and fight, though. I would have liked to bring it home for dinner."

Gen was certain he mirrored the twin looks of disbelief from Senku and Chrome. Chrome laughed nervously. "You would have dragged a lion carcass all the way back to the village? That's so bad, Kohaku! You really are a gorilla."

She spun and whacked him twice with the haft of her torch, both times narrowly missing Senku, who cringed and ducked.

"Careful of the walking wounded," Gen cautioned, his arms tucked inside his tattered and soiled sleeves. "Or at least take care not to hit his head; that's the part of him we actually need."

Senku chuckled at the dark humor. "How many trees did you guys tap before you came looking for us?"

"Most of the maple ones, I think," Chrome admitted. "We didn't get to the pines before we heard the lions going after you."

"It's still pretty early," Senku said, voice strained with the effort of walking, despite leaning on Chrome's shoulder. "Maybe you can tap a few trees while Gen and I get cleaned up."

Chrome laughed. "That's just like you, Senku! Still thinking about work when you're hurt and gross. So bad!"

It wasn't jealousy that tweaked Gen, but rather a malicious sense of mischief: while Gen recognized that Chrome was by far the better person to support Senku's sprained ankle, it was still best to keep a wedge between the two of them. Gen wasn't putting all this effort into breaking down Senku's walls just to have him fall for the wrong person, after all.

"My, Chrome, you seem to have gotten a good deal steadier these past few days," Gen remarked brightly. "After dropping all that glassware recently, I was afraid you might drop our dear Senku-chan."

"What do you mean? I would never..." Chrome trailed off as Gen's leading statement reminded him of his confession only four days ago. Facing away as he was, Gen could only smirk and watch as Chrome's ears turned a bright, hot red. Senku stumbled a step as Chrome tried to distance himself without letting go of Senku, making Senku hiss in pain.

"Dammit, Chrome! Pay attention to what you're doing, not the damn mentalist." Senku looked back over his shoulder, shooting a glare at Gen. "What good does it do to remind him of that now?"

Gen's smile was one of pure innocence. "I was only saying to be careful. You are injured, after all."

"It's only a sprained ankle," Senku argued. "I'll spend the day in the lab tomorrow and be fine after that. No cuts or abrasions, so I don't have to worry about infection. You, on the other hand, need to wash thoroughly and keep an eye on your hands."

"But washing them often dries them out," Gen complained. "I'll need more of your lotion, Senku-chan."

Seku snorted but didn't debate. Gen wondered if the pain was making him short. Come to that, who was Senku to judge between a sprain and a break? He might know medicine, but diagnosing an injury wasn't something Gen expected Senku had experience with. Not that Gen did, not really anyway, but he'd take a look anyway. Just in case.

Kohaku led them to a stream that was, at its deepest, only about waist high. It trickled down from hot springs overflow, so it was murky and reeked of sulfur, but it was also tepid rather than freezing, as many streams had become with the onset of fall. Chrome set Senku down gently on a fallen log, then muttered something about making a crutch for him.

"There's a lot of pine trees around here," Senku observed as he opened the front of his lab coat. "And we're not far off from the trail. Not a bad place to set some spiles for resin."

"Don't try to shoo me away out of modesty, Senku," Kohaku said warningly. "I don't want to have to chase lions away from you twice in one day."

Senku cackled. "I don't care one millimeter about modesty. Stay as close as you like, but don't waste time, either. These pine trees are just as good to tap as the ones on the other side of the trail and we need at least a little resin for the cough drops."

"I was wondering about that," Gen admitted, watching through his eyelashes as Senku undressed. That chest was always a thing of beauty, no matter how many times he saw it in the dim light of Chrome's hut. "Isn't resin toxic? Or is only specific resin toxic?"

"It depends on the tree and the amount," Senku explained. Senku stripped quickly and perfunctorily, with no thought to the action outside of getting into the water to get clean. "I'm going to treat the resin for impurities and the cough drops will only get just enough to hold their shape. As long as no one tries eating them like candy, it won't be enough to do any harm."

"Ah, I see." Gen set his clothes carefully within reach of the water, noting where the worst of the stains were. Luckily, his overcoat got the worst of it, with only minor stains on the front of his kimono and obi. He loved the overcoat, though. Perhaps he'd try giving it a thorough wash at the lake when next he got the chance. Stripped to his loincloth, Gen waded into the stream, shivering despite the spring-fed water.

"Come here." Senku beckoned sharply, sitting in the middle of the stream where the water took most of his weight from him. Gen demurred, trying not to flinch as he submerged his pained and throbbing hands. It wasn't that he was shy--no, he wanted to reinforce the idea that Senku had to go to him, not the other way around. Senku stood and, with a good deal more splashing than was necessary, waded over to Gen and grabbed his wrist, turning his hand palm-up. Gen held still, watching Senku study his palm as if reading his future in it. "Too soon to know if it's infected or not. We'll have to keep an eye on it through tomorrow. Let me know if starts swelling or if the colors spread."

"Thank you, Senku-sensei," Gen said with a warm smile. "In return, let me take a look at you."

"What--!" Senku shouted out in surprise when Gen gave his shoulders a firm push. He'd been standing in the water on only one foot, so it was easy to overbalance him. He landed in the shallows, making it easy for Gen to take hold of his injured ankle and crouch down over it. He had to lift it above the murky water to see it clearly, hand clasping Senku's calf in order to steady it without causing further injury.

"Hmm," Gen hummed thoughtfully. He prodded the side of Senku's ankle gently. "Are you experiencing any tingling or numbness in the area?"

"Oh, so you're a medical doctor in addition to a genius psychologist?" Senku asked, sweating as he smirked.

"It's required to learn a little hands-on healing when studying psychology," Gen replied. "Though I admit, my degree was a bit rushed so I'm not an expert by any means. Still, I learned a thing or two. And I have a pretty good memory." Gen hid a smile as he reached beneath the surface of the water, trailing his fingers over Senku's uninjured ankle. "The swelling doesn't seem to be too severe, which is a good sign. Is it painful?"

"Very," Senku admitted, but he kept his voice low. Gen supposed he was trying to hide that fact from Kohaku and Chrome, both of whom had probably grown up and worked through worse injuries than this one. "It's just a sprain. I'm sure of it. After tomorrow, I'll forget it even happened."

"As long as you stay off of it in the meantime," Gen admonished, lowering Senku's ankle back into the water. "Normally I'd prescribe icing for such an injury, but..."

"But until the lake freezes over, we don't exactly have access to ice," Senku concluded. He remained sitting in the shallows, grimacing as he flexed his ankle beneath the water. "I have some pain meds and plenty of work to do in the lab. This is nothing. The infection in your hands will be worse."

"They’re not infected." Gen's hands were throbbing and swollen, but that could simply be the rope burn. There'd barely been any blood and the little that had been was from scrapes, no deep lacerations. The bird shit hadn't been ideal, but it hadn't likely been enough to cause an issue that washing couldn't solve. He sat down in the silty streambed, scrubbing his palms against his thighs, gritting his teeth through the sting. A moment later, Senku limped out of the stream, grabbed his lab coat and something out of a belt pouch, then returned, sitting in the shallows beside Gen.

"Here." Senku handed Gen a tiny ball of soap. "Wash your hands thoroughly. And if you're cut anywhere else, wash that, too."

As Gen did as instructed, he watched Senku soak and scrub the stains on his lab coat. "Senku-chan! Now that'll be wet for the entire walk back to village. Aren't you worried about catching cold?"

"No, it's not that cold yet," Senku said, though a shiver seemed to belay his words. "And I thought I'd walk back through the stream anyway. I can attach a magnet to the end of the walking stick Chrome's making and collect more iron shavings, so I don't waste the trip."

Gen clucked his tongue admonishingly. "The world won't stop spinning if you take your mind off science for one afternoon. You should consider your injury more than missing an opportunity to collect iron."

"It's going to be a lot harder to collect iron in winter," Senku pointed out. "Especially once the streams freeze. And I am thinking about my injury." Senku's smile was almost soft enough to be called sheepish. "I'll have to stop to take the iron sand off the magnet, which will give me an excuse to stop and take breaks."

Gen felt his heart skip a beat at Senku's smile. He was so used to Senku's superior smirk or his sleazy bargaining grin. This was different. This was very nearly something private, something vulnerable. It was hard not to feel a little bad about taking advantage of such a moment, but Gen managed.

"Hey, Senku," Gen dropped his voice, making it low as if to hide his words from Kohaku and Chrome, but really it was to make Senku lean closer to listen. "We just survived being hunted by lions. Doesn't that make you feel...relieved? Or maybe...grateful to be alive?"

He inched closer to Senku with each question, holding those crimson eyes with his own. Now that relief and reality had set in, Gen felt his body reacting even more strongly than usual to Senku's presence. It would be so nice to make a little time to celebrate their mutual survival.

"Yeah, I am, actually," Senku said, smile soft and eyes distant as he looked up at the sky. "How many scientists can claim to have studied wild lions in a temperate habitat and ecosystem? I wonder how they've adapted to living through four seasons a year and how they survive the winter? And what other escaped-zoo species are living comfortably in Japan, now? Just think: one day we'll have to reclassify all animal species and their new native homes. Maybe there are even new species to catalog and study. Evolution will have had a long time to work without any human interference. It's exciting, isn't it?"

Senku grinned as he turned back to Gen, who was too slow to hide his surprise and confusion with the avenue of Senku's thoughts.

"That's for wildlife specialists, though," Senku added, apparently thinking _that_ was what had Gen confused. "That's not really my area of expertise."

"Aren't all areas of science your areas of expertise?" Gen joked, recovering from his shock. He hadn't really expected Senku to suddenly say "Yes, Gen, I'm so grateful that I have survived with you! And this latest trial has made me realize that I'm lonely and wish to affirm my life and future values with you!" but it would have been nice if it happened. Gen shrugged off his disappointment and handed Senku back his ball of soap, which he began using to scrub at the stains on his lab coat. The lab coat was made of hide, which likely meant the stains would come out. Gen's overcoat, on the other hand, was crude cloth and hard scrubbing was more likely to damage the dye than clean off the stains.

With a sigh and a shiver, Gen climbed out of the water and went to his clothes. Senku might not think anything of walking back in wet clothes, but Gen had a more delicate constitution. That, and he didn't like the idea of being caught without access to any of his hidden pockets and secretly stowed items. He dabbed himself dry with clean corners of his overcoat, then dressed as much as he could, still sighing over the loss of his overcoat. He had a few hidden pockets sewn into his kimono, so as Senku continued cleaning his lab coat, Gen relocated his hidden leaves, seed pouches, flowers and flint. He wished he had a deck of playing cards, or better yet: a lighter, but such things did not exist in this stone world.

The crash and rumble of Kohaku's footsteps through the undergrowth gave her away long before she appeared at the streambank; not even Senku was surprised to see her. "I've spiked all the trees we have spiles for and Chrome is tapping them now. "Here, Senku." She tossed a long, sturdy branch to him. "Chrome thinks that will hold your weight good enough to get you back to the village. I'll cut it down if it's too tall for you."

Senku stood, fitting his arm through the Y of the top and leaning his weight into the makeshift crutch. "I need about four centimeters off and it'll be fine."

Kohaku caught the crutch as it was tossed back to her, but only blinked in confusion at Senku.

"Four centimeters should be about...this much." Gen used the tiny steel knife he'd once used to defeat Hyouga to mark the foot of the crutch. "Does that look right, Senku-chan?"

Senku glanced back from tying his lab coat around his waist like a kilt, rather than pulling it on properly. "Are you sure that's not closer to five?"

Gen put his hands up in a shrug. "Five is pretty close to four when you have no accurate measuring tool. I'd say that's rather impressive."

Senku rolled his eyes and tried to take a step, but wobbled on his bad ankle. Wincing, he said: "It'll work. Find the twine and the magnet in my pouches, will you? I'll try to turn it into something useful while we wait on Chrome."

"I'll go help him," Kohaku offered after cutting the stick down to Gen's etched line. "The pine wood is softer than the maple, but the spiles get stuck in the sap if it dries too fast. We'll have to get buckets on these tomorrow if we want to catch anything."

"Yeah." Senku grimaced. "Another walk up the mountain."

"They don't need you for that," Gen said, examining the branch Chrome had selected for Senku's crutch. "You need to stay in the lab tomorrow and heal up."

"Then who else is going to hang the buckets on the spiles?" Senku asked, his hands on his hips. "If I'm in the lab, then I'll need Chrome with me. It's too much to ask Kohaku to do it on her own. The buckets will be bulky and difficult for one person to carry."

"If you have Kinro and Ginro come with me for protection, I'll do it," Gen offered. He turned his overcoat inside out and folded it so that all the stains were on the inside. After a few folds, he wrapped it around the crux of the crutch, where Senku would rest his weight. With a bit of twine, he bound his lilac overcoat to the crutch as padding. "I'll ask Suika is she has any friends who want to help. A few empty buckets are nothing to those kids."

Senku watched Gen work silently, then accepted the modified crutch without a word. He fitted it beneath his arm and limped up to the fallen tree in order to work it into an iron-collecting tool. If he thought anything of Gen's addition, he didn't say anything. Once the magnet was fitted on the end of the crutch, he looked up with a smirk on his face.

"Guess I'm glad I dragged you along on this adventure after all."

Gen grinned. "I am, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plan is to update this fic monthly, but if you want to know when the next chapter is dropping, please subscribe or follow me on Twitter.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Senku’s twisted ankle is healing, but slowly and he’s impatient to get back to work preparing for winter as well as the coming battle with Tsukasa’s kingdom of might. Luckily, he has a good friend to help him take his mind of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so, any of these recipes for making soap or shampoo or even cough drops…please don’t try these at home. I am doing the barest amount of internet research and then making up the rest as I go. I’m sure some amazing DIY-ers are going to point out I’ve got it all wrong and for that, I’m sorry. I’m just trying to tell a story without getting too bogged down on the nitty-gritty details. I hope you can enjoy it anyway!

To say Senku woke up with his ankle throbbing painfully wasn't entirely accurate.

Senku hadn't ever fallen asleep in the first place.

He'd done everything he was supposed to do: he took vasodilators to help ease the pain and speed recovery, he'd wrapped his ankle in linen bandages, and for the past two days, he'd done nothing but sit in Chrome's hut with his leg elevated. He was going stir-crazy with having to shout instructions down to Chrome and Kaseki, even with Suika ferrying sketched diagrams to and from both groups. Gen had only appeared around meal times, mixing remedies from Senku's lab into tea, then disappearing for the day. At least one of those days, he'd taken Suika and her friends (along with several of the village's warriors) to place collection buckets on the syrup and resin spiles, but after that, Senku had no idea what the mentalist was up to. And with the pain in his ankle, he didn't much care, either.

Ice, Senku thought for the ten billionth time. Ice would really help with the swelling in his ankle. But ice wouldn't exist until winter and Senku hoped that by then, he wouldn't need it as badly. This pain had to recede some time, didn't it?

Telling time in Chrome's hut was significantly more difficult now that the solid wooden door had been installed over the entryway, rather than the simple privacy cloth, so even though Senku was wide awake, he had no idea when his two companions might wake up. Chrome was usually naturally early to rise, but Gen would sleep through til noon if allowed to do so--Senku had let him wake up naturally a few times, just as an experiment to see how long the mentalist could sleep. Not that Gen seemed to mind much. Apparently it was hard to complain after sleeping so much.

Gen had taken to spending his nights in the kingdom of science, rather than in the village and Senku couldn't really blame him. As the village chief, Senku was technically allowed to share Ruri's hut, but just the thought of doing such a thing was supremely uncomfortable, as was the idea of sharing a hut with the village bachelors, like Kinro and Ginro. Not that Senku enjoyed sharing his sleeping space at all, but at least Chrome and Gen weren't intimidated by his intellect, nor inclined to take advantage of him while he slept, as he expected someone like Magma might do. So even though Gen made the sleeping arrangements just a little more crowded, Senku didn't mind much. After all, it would start getting cold soon and the extra body warmth would be needed.

For now, though, Senku wished at least one of his companions would wake up. Talking would take his mind off the pain in his ankle. And he needed to take his mind off of it because he had to get out of this hut today. He didn't really care if all there was to do was the menial labor of pickling and jarring foods to save them for winter, he just couldn't spend another day cooped up in this hut.

Predictably, Chrome was the first to stretch, yawn and sit up, mumbling something sleepy to himself as he ran a hand through his hair. He chirped a greeting at Senku, then asked after his ankle. Senku put on a forced grin and said it was fine. Just as Chrome was rolling up his bedding, Gen arose with the usual complaint about the floor being terrible for his back. With the three of them awake, the bedding was quickly cleared away, hair was straightened and clothing was pulled on. Well, Chrome and Senku dressed. Despite the recent chill in the mornings, Gen still only pulled on his kimono and went down to the fire pit to wash, then returned to dress for the day.

"I'll bring your breakfast up when I get back, Senku-chan." Gen grinned at him. "You've got to keep your strength up, after all."

Senku forced a chuckle. "Don't bother. I am ten billion percent not spending one more day cooped up in here."

"Oh? Feeling all better?" Gen's smile would have looked congenial if it weren't for the mocking tone behind it. "How wonderful! I was hoping you'd help me out with a little project of mine."

This time the laugh came a little more naturally. "Yeah? What makes you think I'd want to do that?"

"Because I'll need your lab." Gen shot a wink over his shoulder before climbing down the ladder from Chrome's hut. "I'll be right back with breakfast, Senku-chan! Just stay put, okay?"

Senku made a face, then looked to Chrome. "Do you have any idea what he's talking about?"

"I never have any idea what he's talking about," Chrome replied with a laugh. "He hasn't said anything to me about a secret project. I thought we were gonna work on more jars with Kaseki."

"That's my plan." Senku took a step and grimaced. "But I might wait for Gen to come back just to find out what he's up to."

"Oh, okay." Chrome's eye darted away, almost nervously. "I'll, uh, go down and open the lab up."

Senku watched Chrome climb down the ladder, surreptitiously flexing his ankle. It was stiff, that was all. Just pooled blood, stuck because of swollen, cold tissue. If he stretched it a little, it would be fine.

Too bad stretching it brought tears to his eyes.

Senku managed to walk a few circles around the hut by the time Gen returned with a kettle of hot water for tea and a wrapped package of rice omelets.

"I miss ketchup," Gen bemoaned as he handed over the food items to Senku. He dropped his kimono with a flourish, just barely stepping out of sight of the doorway to change. Senku ignored him as he poured the water over strainers set with tea leaves. When Gen sat on the floor across from him, he was wearing the new winter clothes made for him by the village seamstresses--all but the overcoat he'd left hanging from a corner shelf. Even to Senku's eye, the overcoat had come out nicely, looking warm and fluffy as his own modified lab coat. And if he'd added a little something to the village's blue dye to make the color match Gen's old overcoat, then all the more reason to admire his handiwork.

Gen split the food in half, his legs folded neatly beneath him as he ate. Senku sat in a sprawl, his bad ankle tucked beneath him where Gen couldn't check it for swelling. He did not want to be told to remain in the hut one more day, no matter how much good another day of rest might do.

"So I was thinking--" Gen began.

"I'm not resting my ankle another day," Senku interrupted, heading him off. "I'm fine and there's about ten billion things I need to be doing other than resting."

Gen blinked, looking surprised. "Oh, I wasn't going to say that. I wanted to ask you for your help."

"I'm too busy," Senku replied shortly. "We've gotta make enough jars to preserve food for the winter. Kaseki is still getting the hang of creating lids to seal the jars shut."

"Mmm." Gen's thoughtful hum made Senku wary. "Don't you need steady heat and atmospheric pressure for work as precise as that?"

"Yes," Senku said cautiously.

Gen grinned. "Then terrible news: it looks like it’s going to rain on and off today. That's not good for your forges or your experiments, is it, Senku-chan?"

Senku scooted towards the door, really looking outside for the first time. He'd noticed it was overcast earlier, but that wasn't unusual for the time of year. Now that he was looking for it, he could see the clouds moving in from the water. Strong winds whipped leaves off of branches, blowing them into piles around the forges and kilns of the kingdom of science.

Senku sat back, sighing in defeat. "Fine, Gen. What did you want to do?"

"I'm so glad you asked!" Gen clapped his hands together, smiling brightly. "The soap you make from seaweed is great, Senku-chan, but I'm really dying for some shampoo and conditioner, and maybe one or two other things. I'll make them myself if you can just tell me how."

Senku resisted the urge to rub his ankle: maybe it was more swollen today because of the poor weather? Atmospheric pressure was known to affect internal systems and blood pressure. He sipped his tea before answering Gen's request. "I have some of the materials you would need for shampoo, but I don't want to waste them on something we don't really need."

"Maybe your hair doesn't need it," Gen commented with a wry glance upwards. Senku refused to rise to the bait; he simply didn't care what anyone else thought of his hair and he wasn't going to waste time nor product on trying to tame it. "I'm only asking because I'm nearly out of my portion of soaps right now anyway, and instead of procuring another bland, boring bar of seaweed soap--"

"How is your soap boring? I've seen you press pine needles and flower petals into it to give it scent."

"--and since you can't use the lab for anything important today anyway, I thought I'd ask to make some custom soaps for myself."

"Luxury soaps," Senku said blandly. "In this stone world."

"Why not?" Gen grinned. "I'll bet the process isn't so different from making oil from the eucalyptus leaves, but I'd rather work from a recipe than waste supplies on trial and error. And even if the villagers don't appreciate sweet-smelling soaps and shampoos that make personal hygiene easier and more effective, I bet quite a few of the modern-timers in Tsukasa-chan's camp would switch sides just for that alone."

That gave Senku pause. He turned the thought over for a minute, considering. The plan had always been to fight as bloodless a battle as possible and the power of science provided way more luxuries than Tsukasa's kingdom of might ever could. And soaps and shampoos were easily packaged, demonstrated and traded. And hygiene was important...

Senku sighed. "Fine. I'll show you how to make one or two, but just as an experiment for larger batches. And while I have the base materials, I don't have anything to add scents or colors, so it would just be--"

"You mean things like these?" Gen turned his seemingly empty palms up, revealing a few, small collected items. Senku recognized each of them: aloe leaves, lavender sprigs, mint, seeds, nuts and various flower petals. "I've been collecting samples for days. I must have enough of something to make a nice, luxurious shampoo out of."

Senku chuckled and shook his head. "I should have guessed. Yeah, any of those will work. But some fruit wouldn't be a bad idea, either. You should see if the village has anything about to go bad that we can use."

"I like the way you think." Gen winked before gathering up the breakfast items. "I'll check in with the village pantry then meet you back at the lab."

Senku was grateful not to have an audience watching him while he climbed down from Chrome's hut. As isolated as Chrome's little camp was from the rest of the village, it made sense that he'd built it off the ground. He avoided run-off from flooding and mud during rainy seasons, and he could pull up the ladder if a predator came calling. With enough insulation, the hut was actually warmer in the winter than it would be on the ground, but in the summer the ventilation created a nice cross breeze and kept it cool. There were many excellent reasons why the hut was built off the ground.

None of that seemed to matter when climbing up or down the ladder on an injured ankle.

Once on the ground, Senku gritted his teeth and walked as normally as possible to the lab, glad that that, at least, was on solid ground and not far from the hut at all. Chrome had already pulled back the lab's curtained doorway and a few jars of sand for glass-making were missing from the shelves. Senku assumed Chrome was checking the kilns. But just by the short walk from the hut to the lab, Senku agreed with Gen: dark clouds were moving fast, promising the first true autumn storm. Senku dragged a stool out from beneath a bench and sat, one hand reflexively reaching down to rub his ankle. Hopefully once this storm passed, the pain would pass as well.

"Senku-chan!" Gen made a noisy reappearance as he burst through the lab's entryway and set a woven basket of beyond-ripe fruit on the table. "The villagers were pretty happy to get rid of all of this, but it wasn't fun carrying it all the back here." He made a face at the overly sweet smell and waved a hand in front of his nose.

Senku grinned and hoped that Gen hadn't noticed him rubbing his ankle. "That smell is what's going to add the necessary oils to your conditioner. But we should start reducing your other raw ingredients into oils first since that'll take the longest."

Gen agreed and began pulling little tied pouches out of hidden pockets in his furred overcoat, setting each one on the lab table. "Lavender. Rosemary. Mint. Jasmine. Lemongrass. Aloe. And some various assorted flowers, seeds and a few things I can’t identify but smell nice."

Senku tried not to flinch as he stood. He grabbed clay pots from higher shelves and a few jars of the oil he'd been making in his spare time; there was always a use for plain, no-frills vegetable oil and it was simple enough to make. Just walking around the hut to gather supplies was making his ankle ache, even though nothing was particularly heavy. Maybe he really did need one more day of rest...

"Tell me what to get, Senku," Gen insisted. "This is my project, I just need you to be my Google app."

Senku chuckled as he set down the iron plates they used for small, controlled fires in the lab. "Your Google app?"

"You know, like 'Okay Google, what's the next step?'" Gen mimed talking into a smartphone. "Google doesn't actually do any of the helping, it just lists the instructions for you, step by step."

Senku braced his hands on the lab bench, taking the weight off his ankle as he leveled a glare at Gen. "This is about making me take it easy on myself, isn't it?"

"What?" Gen made one of those over-the-top innocent faces. But that hadn't fooled Hyouga and it certainly wasn't fooling Senku. Gen let the expression drop with a chuckle. "Why can't this just be about me taking advantage of you for my own means? It doesn't get much more selfish than wanting luxury soaps and shampoos for myself. And, as good as I am, I can't control the weather." Gen waved a hand to the doorway, drawing Senku's attention outside, where, indeed, a light mist was falling. Gen was grinning wickedly by the time Senku looked back. "You have to admit, taking advantage of both the weather and your injury for something selfish is perfectly in-character for me."

"That fact that you're insisting that this is in-character for you is what makes me suspicious," Senku retorted.

"What's the difference either way?" Gen asked, spreading his arms out in a wide shrug. "You get to rest one more day without being cooped up in the hut. You couldn't be doing anything productive anyway, not with the rain. And I needed new soaps and a knowledgeable teacher. It's win-win-win, isn't it?"

Senku groaned as he dragged his stool over and sat down heavily. "Fine. But I'm not helping. And you better not break anything."

"Fine, fine. Just tell me what to do." Senku watched a moment as Gen gathered a few supplies. He set a small clay jar on a stand over an iron plate and stacked twigs in a pyramid shape below it. Before adding any oil, though, he set up the grindstone and began smashing down the leaves from one of his little pouches. Mint, Senku guessed, by the smell. It seemed Gen remembered at least that much from his time distilling down the eucalyptus leaves. It was tedious manual labor, the kind Gen usually complained about, but he was humming lightly under his breath as he reduced the dried leaves down into a fine powder. Senku watched without really watching; Gen didn't need much guidance at the moment. Although, the heavily furred sleeves of his overcoat were treacherously close to the grindstone. If they weren't making something as simple as soap, Senku would have made him take the coat off, or at least tie back the sleeves to keep them out of the way.

Just as Gen started to ask how much oil to use, Chrome appeared in the doorway of the lab, his hair and shoulders damp with the falling rain.

"Senku." Chrome frowned at Gen, as if puzzled about what he would be doing with the grindstone and a beaker of oil, but seemed to shrug it off rather quickly. "It's going to be difficult to run any of the forges today. Kaseki thinks the rain is going to get worse as the day goes on and the wind is already pretty _bad_."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that." Dammit. Any other day, he'd have gone after Chrome to tell him the change of plans, but with his ankle paining him as it was, Senku found himself preferring his seat in the lab. "Sorry, Chrome. I didn't mean to make you run around in the rain for nothing."

"Don't worry about it," Chrome assured him quickly, glancing back at Gen. "What, uh, are you guys doing?"

"Making fancy soaps," Gen proclaimed proudly as he swept the powdered mint up into a neat pile.

Senku shrugged as Chrome looked to him for an explanation. "Gen's using the lab to make soap since the weather would affect anything that requires more precision."

"Oh." Chrome watched for a moment, then asked: "Can I help?"

"Not really. Twenty milliliters of oil, Gen. You already know how to make soap, Chrome, it'd be a waste of time for you."

"Then...should I clean the glassware? Or make another sulfuric acid dilution? Or...or you could talk me through a new experiment?"

"How much mint do I add, Senku-chan?"

"Just throw it all in." Senku only glanced over for a moment before turning back to Chrome. "Anything with acids or bases is going to be too uncertain with the atmospheric pressure the way it is. And we recently cleaned all the glass, so there's no need."

"So...what should I do?" Chrome asked.

Senku longed to reach down and massage his ankle; the pain was making him cross and that wasn't Chrome's fault, but he still felt like snapping. "I don't know. Why don't you take the day off or something?"

An expression Senku couldn't read crossed Chrome's face, but luckily Gen offered up a solution at that moment.

"Why not go on a collection mission?" Gen suggested. "I'm sure you both could always use more minerals like iron and copper and whatever. Just be sure to take care in the rain."

Chrome looked to Senku. Senku rubbed the back of his neck before responding. "We always could use more of the basics, but it's really up to you. You could always work on schematics for the next crazy design you and Kaseki are gonna end up building."

"Heh." Chrome laughed shortly. He took a deep breath and glanced outside. "I guess I could visit a few of my favorite caves and see what I can find. If you're sure you don't need me for anything?"

"It's soap," Senku replied, smirking as he gestured at Gen. "Even this charlatan can't mess it up."

"So rude, Senku-chan," Gen admonished. He cleaned off the grindstone, scraping the remains of the mint leaves outside the door of the lab. "We're going to be mixing most of these oils together eventually, right? How clean do I really have to get this heavy stone board?"

"We should try to keep the base oils as pure as possible, in case we want to use them for something else," Senku advised. "Use the alcohol solution to get it as clean as possible."

Gen sighed dramatically, but did as he was told.

"I guess I'll just go then," Chrome said, slinking away. "Unless you need me for...anything?"

"If you want to stay so badly, just say so," Gen said cheerfully. "Here. Finish cleaning this stone for me."

Chrome made a face at him. "No way. Clean up your own mess."

Seeing Chrome stomp away was mildly puzzling, but then bad weather often put even the most mild-mannered of people into bad moods, so Senku shrugged it off. He certainly wouldn't want to go collecting materials on a day like today. No, sitting inside and drawing up schematics or writing down recipes was far more Senku's speed on a miserable, rainy day. Though making something as essential as soap--even luxury soap--wasn't a bad option, either. He frowned as he realized he'd drawn his ankle up onto his knee to massage it. Frustrated with himself, Senku set his foot back down on the floor. Luckily, Gen didn't seem to have noticed: he was still humming to himself as he scraped the grinding board clean.

"I never really thought about the weather being a factor in science before," Gen commented lightly as he set the grinding board back down. Grabbing a striker off the bench, he lit a fire beneath the mixture of oil and crushed mint. "Or did it not matter back in the modern age?"

"In an ideal lab, no, it didn't matter so much," Senku replied. "But some highly sensitive reactions could still be affected by changes in atmospheric pressure or fluctuations in temperature, so the laboratory setting still mattered. A high school lab was never as good as, say, a microbiology lab." He laughed under his breath. "Still, I'd take a high school lab over this one any day. I'd kill for a hood and an actual eye wash station."

"Would those assist in reducing the number of explosions you and Chrome seem to suffer so often?" Gen asked, curiously.

"A hood would," Senku replied. "Or at least, it would keep the explosion a little more contained. There's no way to get around some combustion; we don't have a sterile enough environment to produce pure chemicals."

"You seem to do well enough," Gen commented, sprinkling a handful of lemongrass over the grindstone. "But what do I know? I stopped taking the physical sciences as soon as I possibly could."

"Heh." Senku gave in to his pain and pulled his ankle back over his knee to ease the throbbing with his hand. "I bet you were more interested in literature and languages, weren't you?"

"Hmm, languages yes, literature no." Gen smiled to himself as the rolled he grindstone over his gathered specimens. "I didn’t particularly enjoy the books the school curriculum chose for us to read. Although I did enjoy reading in my free time." Gen looked up through his eyelashes. "Let me guess: in your free time, you watched documentaries and read scientific journals?"

Senku laughed. "Sometimes, yeah. But I read manga and played video games, too, sometimes."

"Really?" Gen looked surprised. "Video games? I can hardly imagine it."

"Yeah. Study breaks helped Taiju focus. If I pushed him too hard, he just got confused." Those were the days: spread out on the floor of Senku's bedroom, studying history or English or explaining a painfully simple chemical reaction in such a way that Taiju could understand it. There was too much to focus on in this stone world to spend much time reflecting on the past, but the pattering of rain on the lab's rooftop somehow had Senku feeling nostalgic. He laughed before adding: "I used to love civilization games. Building an empire from scratch type of games, you know?"

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me at all," Gen said, also smiling wistfully. "Although, I imagine the reality is very different from the games you used to play."

"Yeah." Senku's smile twisted. "I always tried raising a peaceful society, but I didn't mind when wars broke out; it made the game more exciting and war always advances technology. It doesn’t matter so much when you're slaughtering an imaginary army, but in real life...yeah, it's different."

Gen was quiet for a minute. He set up the second clay pot over an iron dish, added the oil then scraped in his crushed-up lemongrass. Lit the fire beneath the jar, then cleaned the grindstone with alcohol again; it was going to be tedious work like that for a while, yet Gen wasn't complaining.

"What else did you do for fun?" Gen asked. "Did Taiju-chan ever drag you outside into the harsh light of day to spend time with friends?" Gen grinned. "Please tell me you used to dress up in a yukata for summer festivals."

Senku snorted. "Not since I was a kid. And any free time I spent outside, I used to launch the rockets I'd built. Taiju usually came with me, and sometimes Yuzuriha, too. Otherwise, I'd stay home, experimenting and studying." A thought occurred to Senku as Gen prepared his next specimen. "Taiju did drag me out to see that movie you advised on. What was it? Waters of Summer?"

Gen dropped the rolling grindstone, only just barely catching it before it rolled off the lab table and onto the floor. "Springs of Summer? You saw that?" He cleared the surprise off his face abruptly and grinned slyly. "How did you know I advised on that, Senku-chan? Following my career as a mentalist, hm?"

Senku laughed. "I read your books. Some of them, at least. I remember you promoting the movie inside the dust jacket. I wasn't planning on going to see it--dippy love movies aren't my thing--but Taiju wanted to go with Yuzuriha without it looking like a date, so he dragged me along."

"Ah." Gen nodded, expression serene again as he set the roller to the grindstone. "You three were close, hm? It must be tough, knowing they're with Tsukasa-chan right now."

Senku shook his head, grinning fiercely. "Taiju may be a fool on his own, but he’s indestructible, and Yuzuriha is clever and reliable. They'll be fine. I'm not worried even one millimeter about them."

Gen's eyes flicked up once, searching Senku's face, before dropping back to his task. "They're both really well-liked by everyone. Both are hard-working, kind souls." He grinned malevolently. "Makes me wonder what they did to deserve befriending you."

Senku chuckled. "I used to wonder the same thing."

The conversation lapsed, the empty air between them filled with the sounds of stone scraping stone and the patter of rain on the roof. The lab was beginning to smell of mint and heated oil, keeping the room pleasantly warm despite the waves of rain outside. The smoke from the fire plates drifted up to the vents beneath the roof in slim trickles. Senku pointed out that one of Gen's fires was burning low and he added a few more twigs to the flame. Senku missed the days of bunsen burners, but for little projects like this one, open flames weren't the worst things.

Gen was humming softly again as he set up the next clay pot. Each set up was relatively small, but pretty soon he would run out of space to set up new clay pots. And then all they could do was wait for the oil to finish cooking before they could use it for soap. Gen moved the grindstone further down the lab table to make space. As he turned, the fringe on his overcoat passed dangerously close to one of the fire plates.

"You should take that off," Senku said abruptly. Gen paused and looked up, confused. "Your coat. Fur burns fast and an uncontrolled fire in here would destroy a lot of work."

"Ah, of course." Gen made a face as he slid out of his overcoat, hanging it on a peg inside the doorway. A chill wracked him immediately. "I should have thought of that, but it's just so cold."

"Only going to get colder," Senku replied. "Besides, can't you just use your mentalism to warm yourself up?"

Gen laughed softly as he went back to grinding up flower petals. "Only to a small extent. It's important to know when your body is cold in order to avoid hypothermia and frostbite. Surely a scientist like you is well aware of that."

"It's also important to know when your body is too hot to avoid heat stroke," Senku pointed out. "But you said you could ignore that."

"I knew I was well hydrated and operating within my limits," Gen said with a shrug. "And I dislike sweating, so yes, I choose to ignore heat more than I choose to ignore cold. Not that you'll believe any of that, Senku-chan."

Senku rolled his eyes at the accusation. "I already told you that I read your books. They were wildly inaccurate, not holding up to even the lowest psychological standards. Forgive me if I think your methods are flawed."

"Oh, the books _were_ terrible," Gen agreed readily. "Even the TV show was mostly a scam." He smiled winningly, making a sweeping gesture with his arm, as if welcoming a guest onto his show. "But none of that mattered so long as I was popular. I knew I wasn't going to hold the number one show slot for long, so I had to capitalize on it while I could. I can't be this cute forever." Gen winked. "Could you blame me for trying to build up the savings account while I could?"

Senku chortled. "I guess not. Hell, I would have done the same thing. I always needed money for the rockets I was building. Materials didn't come cheap." He watched for a while as Gen worked the grindstone, his breaths blowing the ground up bits onto the lab bench. After a few minutes of work, Gen paused and eased the muscles in his shoulders; Senku was familiar with that feeling--grinding down ingredients was no easy task. "Did you know your TV network invited me onto one of their talk shows?"

"Did they, really?" Gen asked, smiling. "That makes sense: the network loved to find local individuals and highlight what they were doing in the community and your work with rockets certainly would have caught their eye—but you never would have been invited onto my show. We deliberately narrowed our search to people who wouldn't unveil the secrets of my mystical mentalism."

Senku snorted. "I didn't have to go on your show to know there was a hidden sensor somewhere, feeding you the answers. I bet even Tsukasa figured that out. I liked the psychology-talk portion of your show better, at least there was a tiny bit of science behind that."

"I'm flattered that you even deigned to watch my show," Gen said, stretching his neck to one side, then the other. "So? Did you end up going on one of our shows? Or did the end of the world happen before you could?"

"I had to decline," Senku said with a shrug. "I was a minor, so I needed a guardian to sign off permission to go."

"Ah." Gen nodded knowingly. "Byakuya was training in the US by then, wasn't he? That's a shame. Getting some local recognition might have helped you get some funding for your rocket-building enterprise." He paused, thoughtful. "Not that it would have mattered much in the end, though."

"Right?" Senku chuckled. He stood up and rounded the lab bench to check on the first pot of oil Gen had set up. He gave the mint and oil a stir, then added a few twigs to the fire plate. Gen began cutting down the near-rotten fruit into small squares as Senku checked the second pot of oil. The rain outside slackened, making the silence between them feel more oppressive now than it had been when it was pouring. Gen had rolled back the sleeves of his kimono, revealing startlingly pale and slender forearms, currently flecked with bits of green powder and sticky with fruit juice. Gen always wore so much clothing, it was easy to forget how delicate he actually was. More to fill the silence than anything else, Senku asked: "What did you used to do? In your free time?"

"Ah, free time." Gen smiled wistfully. "There isn't much of that when you film two shows in a day, have a book-series contract deal, photo shoots three times a week and the need to keep rubbing elbows with industry professionals to make sure I remained relevant as long as possible, all while trying to stay current on the latest psychological studies, theories and experiments. But when I did have the time, I enjoyed eating at high-end restaurants, getting massages and pedicures, and occasionally, curling up with a good book."

Senku smiled ruefully as he sat back down on his stool. "I do miss reading before bed. My first year in this stone world, I could only fall asleep after reciting a chapter of an old favorite book to myself."

"Oh?" Gen asked, sounding interested. "Any book in particular?"

"Not really. Whatever was on my mind at the time." Senku laughed softly at the memory. "Before I built myself a shelter, I would fall asleep looking up at the sky, so I told myself the old myths of the constellations. Kinda cheesy, right?"

Gen's expression as their eyes met over the lab table was clear, sunny and deep, but Senku couldn't read anything in it. "You were alone then, weren't you? It's remarkable that you were able to cope so quickly and successfully."

"I wouldn't say successfully," Senku countered. "One person on their own can do little more than survive. It wasn't until Taiju revived that I would count anything I did as successful."

Gen shook his head as he rolled the stone over his powdered flower petals. "Every day you failed to starve, succumb to predators or to the elements was a success. And each success led you to where you are right now."

Senku didn't know what to say to that. He checked the mint oil again and decided it was as good as it needed to be in order to add it to a soap mixture. He pulled it off its stand using a pair of tongs. Gen set the next clay pot of oil on to heat, then, rubbing his shoulder, asked about the next step in creating shampoo.

"We'll use one of the larger pots to melt a block of soap," Senku said, already hauling a small iron cauldron up onto the lab table and setting it into an iron-rod stand. "A little water, a little seaweed and some diluted acid to break it down into a soft soap instead of a hard soap, a little heat to make it pliable. You know most of those ingredients you're grinding up are mostly just for scent, right?"

"Ah, not quite, Senku-chan!" Gen held up a finger to correct him. "Mint stimulates the follicles and promotes healthy hair growth. Aloe vera helps retain moisture, and lemongrass adds shine and texture. You see, I do know a thing or two about natural products and essential oils."

Senku rolled his eyes. "None of those are as effective as the chemical-based products we used to have, but I suppose if you want to put your power of belief into that, sure. You'll be the prettiest belle of the ball."

Gen fanned his face, acting like a demure young maiden. "That's all I ever wanted to be!"

Senku snorted. He lit a fire beneath the cauldron and tossed in the more scientific ingredients while directing Gen to cut down a soap block into smaller chunks. Gen frowned when he peered inside the pot.

"Is that all we're making? It doesn't seem like very much."

"The oils you're making will add more volume," Senku replied. "Besides, how much do you really need? We don't have the space or supplies to store a year's worth of shampoo for you."

"See if I share it with you, then," Gen muttered, touching the jar of mint oil carefully, making sure it was cool enough to handle. "This is a lot of work for one bottle's worth of shampoo."

"It's a stone world, what do you expect?" Senku asked. "Pour half the mint oil in. Save the other half for the conditioner you wanted."

"Fine, fine." Rather than use a beaker to get an exact halfway point, Gen approximated and poured half of the mint oil directly from the clay jar. It was the type of measurement Senku would have kicked him out of the lab for if they had been working on anything important. But this was Gen's own hair product, so what did it matter if he messed up the proportions? "But I'm curious, Senku-chan. What have you been using to wash your hair since reviving in a stone world?"

"Oh, I'm not as fussy as you, Gen." Senku smirked. "When I do have to wash it, I just use baking soda and vinegar."

Gen blinked in surprise. "Baking soda...and vinegar?"

"That's all you really need," Senku explained. "See, the baking soda strips the scalp of dirt and oil, then--"

"Baking soda and vinegar," Gen repeated once more, his eyes flicking up to Senku's hair. "As in, the ingredients that go into a child's model volcano?"

"Er--" Senku paused, surprised that Gen knew that simple reaction. "Yes?"

It was Gen's turn to smirk. "Well, that actually explains a lot."

"Not at the same time," Senku corrected with a roll of his eyes. "I rinse the baking soda out before--"

"No, don't bother explaining," Gen said with an upheld hand. "I am too busy creating the first of many, many jokes in regards to Senku's Volcanic Shampoo." Gen gestured grandly as he evoked the booming voice of a TV commercial announcer. "For hair that stands on end without use of any other product, use Senku's Volcanic shampoo system! Now with conditioner." He looked thoughtful a moment, then asked: "Or would the conditioner actually weigh it down? Also, can we add red dye to the product? I think that would really give it the oomf it needs to be a hit-seller."

Senku laughed as he mixed the shampoo concoction in the large pot. "If you rinse the baking soda out before adding the vinegar, there's no reaction."

"Yes, yes," Gen said impatiently. "But the real question is: does baking soda strip the color from your hair? Is that why yours is paler at the roots? This is especially important for our viewers who dye their hair, I'm afraid this might not be the appropriate product for them." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'm going to have to put a disclaimer on the end of my commercial, aren't I?"

Senku couldn't help but laugh. "Who, exactly, are you marketing this shampoo for?"

"Why, people who think hygiene is a pesky little thing they wish to hurry up and get finished with, without an ounce of enjoyment." Gen swiped his cut fruit to the side and twirled his knife thoughtfully. "At least baking soda and vinegar are relatively harmless to use in natural water sources. Better than the chemicals we used to have to filter out through elaborate sewage systems, right?"

"Especially if you're using them in hot springs," Senku confirmed. "The heat will break them down into their core components and fewer species live in active hot springs than, say, a river or a lake."

"All natural and environmentally friendly." Gen nodded. "It practically sells itself. If it weren't for the terrible side effects of, well, that--" Gen waved a hand at Senku's hair. "--You might even have me sold."

Senku smirked. "How are you one to talk? Let's discuss your hair for a minute."

"Oh, no thank you, I'd rather make this all about you." The look in Gen's eyes was sly. "And unlike you, I actually enjoy hygiene rituals. I think they should be luxurious and relaxing. Self-care is important, even in this stone world."

"Your version of self-care is going to give you frostbite in the winter," Senku said with a snicker. "I can't wait to see you trudging through snow to wash up at the fire pit every morning once winter hits."

"Senku-chan!" Gen looked falsely scandalized, a hand held modestly against his chest. "Saying you can't wait to watch me bathe! You're a bit of a voyeur, aren't you?"

Senku only rolled his eyes at the tease. "You wash in the middle of the camp, it's not exactly hard to miss."

"You're right." Gen tapped his chin as if thinking. His face lit up with an apparently brilliant idea that Senku decided he must have come up with earlier but only decided to present just now. "You know what we truly need? A traditional onsen!"

"An onsen?" Senku said blandly. "That's what we need? Really?"

"Think about it," Gen insisted, his grin growing. "Tsukasa-chan's kingdom of might doesn't have a hot springs source. They'll be breaking ice and melting snow all winter just to have water to drink and cook with, never mind wash with. We have natural hot springs here and with the power of science, we can offer luxury soaps, shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers, face masks, peels--"

"I think you're getting a bit carried away for a 'traditional' onsen," Senku pointed out dryly.

"No matter." Gen flipped his hand dismissively. "Just think: if we dug a few baths and put up some walls, we could win over more than half of Tsukasa's fighting force by midwinter. Principles really only go so far, even for talented martial artists."

Senku considered it as he added a few more sticks to the fire beneath the shampoo cauldron. It actually wasn't a bad idea. Hygiene was a necessity, one that would undoubtedly become more difficult come winter, and any modern-timers like himself and Gen would appreciate the convenience of a bath house. And there was a psychological component to a traditional onsen as well: it would recall to mind both a simpler and a more modern time. And digging a few bath pits and putting up some bamboo walls wasn't actually all that difficult, although running a pipeline down the mountain to serve as a hot water source...that could cause an issue.

"It's not a bad idea," Senku finally said. "But there's no way we'll get it done before winter. The village needs to store up food resources to last the winter right now and digging pits for baths would take an enormous amount of manpower. It's something to keep in mind for the future, though."

"That does make sense," Gen agreed, a touch regretfully. "I suppose if I must limit my ablutions to the once-a-week trek up the mountains to the hot springs during the winter months, I will. But I refuse to sleep in one of the bachelor-huts in the village with people who neglect their hygiene, so you better get used to sharing floor space with me this winter, Senku-chan."

"Why not?" Senku asked. "The more people, the warmer the hut will be. And--" It was Senku's turn to grin wickedly. "--The earlier in the day I can put you to work for the kingdom of science."

"Ah, such a hard task master!" Gen feigned a theatrical swoon. "But if you keep me provided with elegant soaps, I suppose I can't compl--" As Gen lowered his arm, his sleeve swept the legs of the iron stand holding a clay pot above the firing plate. Senku saw the look of alarm cross his face as if in slow motion. The stand wobbled, the fire plate rattled and the clay pot began tipping. If the oil spilled and hit the fire...

Senku grabbed a bucket of sand, kept for the very purpose of fire prevention, but before he could warn Gen away, he saw Gen reaching for the clay pot.

"No!"

Too late! Gen caught the teetering pot in his bare hand, hissing as he quickly set it down on the lab bench, far from any of the fire plates. Senku caught a flash of angry, red skin on Gen's palm before he shook it out, a pained expression on his face.

"Sorry, Senku-chan." Gen clutched his hand to his chest, smiling weakling. "I guess that's me getting a lifetime ban from the lab, isn't it?"

"Idiot," Senku said savagely, tossing the bucket of sand aside. He swept a burn-salve off a shelf and grabbed Gen's hand, ignoring the pained cry as he held it out and open. "You can't just grab at things or you'll get yourself hurt."

"It's not bad!" Gen protested, voice strained. "I'll go down to the beach and just--"

"Risk infection?" Senku snapped. He poured a beaker-full of water over Gen's palm, then dabbed a clean cloth over the affected area. Gen whimpered and tried to pull away, but Senku held onto his wrist firmly. "You're right, though, this isn't all that bad."

"I didn't want the oil to catch fire," Gen explained weakly. "Your lab and all the chemicals and supplies you've worked so long to create and store--Ow!"

Senku scooped a dollop of burn-salve--mostly aloe and few other components--into Gen's hand, then smeared it over the burn. "We could have smothered a fire before it got too bad. We can't get you a new hand if you burn all the skin off this one."

"I just thought..." Sweat broke out over Gen's forehead as he tried to force a smile. "That if I injured myself, I wouldn't have to perform so much manual labor all the time."

"I'd still find a way to make you useful," Senku threatened. He finished smearing the burn cream over Gen's hand, then wrapped it in a cloth. "Sit down on the stool and don't move. And don't knock anything else over while you're at it."

"Fine, fine." Gen sulked, cradling his hand to his chest as he followed orders. "What are you going to do?"

"Me?" Senku observed the cluttered state of his lab bench and sighed. "I guess I'm going to finish cleaning up this mess you made."

"Sorry, Senku-chan." Gen looked sheepish. "Would you believe me if I told you that it wasn't my intention to make you do this work for me?"

"I believe you," Senku grumbled. "I can't see you injuring yourself over something as useless as this."

Gen's laugh was thin and watered down. "Truly. There is much I would be willing to do for good shampoo and conditioner, but giving up a hand for it is asking too much."

Though Senku grumbled about it, the process of turning Gen's collected samples into shampoo, conditioner and soap wasn't all that difficult. It did take up most of the day, though, and by the end he'd exhausted almost every clay pot and jar he'd made for his lab, all to create three little bottles of luxury soaps for one inattentive mentalist. Senku grudgingly labeled each one and set them aside inside the doorway for Gen's use, then demanded to see Gen's hand.

Gen hissed and flinched as the cloth was peeled away, taking the dried residue of the cream along with it. It was too dark in the lab to see the injury clearly, so Senku dragged Gen to the doorway by the wrist. In the light of the gray clouds, Senku examined Gen's hand, noting the pained twitch of his fingers and the angry, red skin.

"It'll heal," he pronounced finally. "Probably won't even blister all that badly since you didn't hold onto the jar that long." He dumped another scoop of water over Gen's hand, patted it dry and treated it with another round of burn cream. "Try not to use it for the rest of the day. It should be mostly normal by tomorrow."

"Ah, thanks, Senku-chan." Gen took his hand back before Senku could re-wrap it. Gen took the cloth from him and performed the task himself. "And thank you, as always, for your tender and loving bedside manner. It's very comforting to have you fawning over me like this."

Senku snorted. Gen wasn't on his deathbed: there was no need to be gentle with him. He'd never seen the point of coddling someone who was sick or injured; wasn't the whole point to make them want to be well again? Babying someone who was sick might encourage them to languish a bit longer and Senku needed his team members to be able to function at their highest levels at all times. So no, he was not going to be showing Gen any "tender, loving care."

Bad enough he was stuck washing out all these clay jars, glass beakers and iron pots.

"Ah, let me clean up," Gen insisted as Senku lifted the heavy cauldron off the lab bench. He withered under a hard stare, but insisted. "I only need one hand to scrub everything out. Please, it's the least I could do."

Senku sighed as he straightened, rubbing his lower back from lifting and lowering the stupid pot. "If you use your hand, it'll slow down the healing process."

"I won't," Gen assured him, still smiling weakly. "I don't think I can, anyway. But if you set out some cleaning supplies for me, I can at least give everything a good scrub. I can't really mess that up, can I?" Gen met Senku's glare with a sheepish grin. "Anyway, you've been working at this all day. Don't you want to get some food and take a break?"

At the mention of food, Senku's stomach made an angry noise. He eased an ache in his neck, frowning as he looked outside the lab. "The rain's lightened up, so I guess it's worth the walk to the village." Still, he hesitated in the doorway, casting a look back at Gen.

"I won't use my hand," Gen swore, holding it up as if speaking an oath. "I'm lazy by nature, anyway. A one-handed effort was all you were ever going to get from me." His smirk turned it into an innuendo, but as the stare lingered, the smile slid of Gen's face. "Or is it that you still don't trust me alone in your lab, Senku-chan?"

"N--" Senku started to refute the charge--it wasn't a matter of trust, it was more a matter of Gen causing further injury to himself if left on his own--but he was saved from having to explain by Chrome's sudden and unexpected reappearance.

"Hey, Senku." Chrome squeezed water out of his clothes before stepping beneath the eaves of the lab. "Gen." His tone was a little more abrupt, but Senku figured that was due to the misery that came from working in the rain. The mood vanished as Chrome took in Senku standing at the lab bench. "How's your ankle, Senku?"

"My--" Senku froze, blinking in faint astonishment. He flexed his foot and noticed only a slight twinge of pain. He whirled around and glared at Gen.

"The mind is a wondrous thing," Gen said blithely, shrugging. "Once you take your mind off the pain, it loses all power over you, doesn't it, Senku-chan?"

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy reminding you of that while your own injury is healing," Senku replied. The more he thought of it, the more the pain in his ankle seemed to return. When, exactly, had it stopped hurting? He hadn't even realized it, but he'd been on his feet for hours and never thought about it once. Just how devious was this conniving mentalist?

"It only works if you're allowed to take your mind off of it," Gen told him. "I can't work the trick on myself if you're just going to remind me of it."

Senku snorted in disbelief. He wished it was so easy to put his ankle out of his mind again, but now that Chrome had reminded him, it wasn't likely to go away so easily. He clapped Chrome on the shoulder, turning his back on Gen. "Chrome, do you mind helping out for a bit? Gen hurt his hand earlier and neither of us have eaten. I was going to go to the village for some food, but I'm worried he'll injure himself more if I leave him alone."

"Yeah, no, I don't mind." Chrome ducked his head, hiding a small half-grin. "Be careful on the bridge. It's real slippery when it rains."

"I'll keep that in mind." Senku leaned outside the doorway, testing the wind for more rain. If he didn't hurry, he might get stuck in a second downpour. "I look forward to hearing what you collected when I get back. Thanks, Chrome!"

Senku trotted out into the rain, humming lightly under his breath to keep his mind off his seemingly healed ankle. He got all the way to the bridge before he wondered how a song from the modern days had gotten stuck inside his head?

...

Gen and Chrome eyed each other over the cluttered lab table, both exuding thinly veiled irritation with one another. Gen tipped his head to the side and spoke first: "If you'd rather go change into dry clothes and warm up, it's not a problem. I can give everything here a quick scrub."

"A quick scrub isn't going to be enough to get everything back into sterile condition," Chrome replied, grabbing the cooled clay jars and setting them outside in the rain. "What'd you do to your hand? Did you break something?"

Gen held his bandaged hand up as he helped himself to a cloth and Senku's mixture of dishware detergent. "No, no. I'm afraid breaking things is still your area of expertise. I only burned myself in an effort to stop an oil fire from starting. It's not that bad; Senku says it'll be better by tomorrow."

"He looked like he was walking a lot better on his ankle," Chrome muttered. He worked busily on putting away lab supplies while Gen began swiping out the inside of the iron cauldron Senku had set on the floor earlier. The pot was cool now and the oil-slick soap came up easily. Gen ignored the looks Chrome cast over his shoulder at him: he sensed an awkward conversation was brewing and he didn't want to be the one who instigated it. "So, you just...did one of your little mental tricks on Senku and fixed his ankle?"

"Not exactly." Gen wet his cloth with a little more detergent and crouched over the pot to swipe it out once more. "You still don't really understand what it is I do, do you?"

"It's not science," Chrome retorted. "Senku says you do tricks, using misdirection and sleight of hand. More like sorcery without any actual magic."

"I am a magician, that's true," Gen allowed. "But mentalism is different. And psychology actually is a science." He chuckled. "It's not as flashy as chemistry, or as messy as biology or as physically practical as engineering, but that doesn't make it any less real. And Senku is just as knowledgeable of the science of psychology as he is of every other science under the sun, so any 'mental tricks' I play on him, he can easily spot."

That wasn't entirely true; there was a vast difference between _knowing_ something and _understanding_ something. Gen had no doubt Senku could recite a list of notable psychologists, what they were famous for and the findings of their experiments. But being able to replicate said experiments, or utilize personality traits to one's advantage--that was the difference. And therein lay Gen's advantage. But that was more than he was willing to discuss with a possible romantic rival.

"But then why was he surprised that his ankle stopped hurting?" Chrome pressed.

"His ankle didn't stop hurting, he just switched his focus," Gen explained. "When your mind focuses on a single thing, it amplifies it. Be it pleasure, pain, anxiety or any of a thousand other things, you can make a problem better or worse simply by making it the center of your focus. So all I did was shift Senku's focus."

And the second Chrome returned and asked about it, Senku's focus would have shifted right back onto his ankle. Hence Gen's irritation: he'd spent most of the day helping Senku forget about his injury, only to have it brought up right when he'd finally forgotten about it.

"Just by not thinking about something can fix it?" Chrome asked. "If it works like that, why doesn't everyone do it?"

"Because telling yourself _not_ to think about something only makes you fixate on it more," Gen clarified. "For instance, if I told you right now to not think about Ruri, what image immediately comes to mind?"

"Uh," Chrome blinked. He looked away, rubbed his neck, stared off into the distance, then shrugged. "Ruri, I guess."

"Right," Gen affirmed. "But if I asked you to recite the melting points of lead, iron, copper, and gold, wouldn't Ruri be the last thing on your mind?"

"I...guess so?"

"That's because there's no association in your mind between your childhood friend and the science that Senku is teaching you," Gen explained, patiently as possible. "It has to do with how the brain stores information and how that information is linked. And even back in the modern world, scientists had only scratched the surface of what the power of the mind could really do. And while I never claimed to be a pioneer or an experimental psychologist, I had one marketable talent and I polished it until I earned a spotlight for my efforts."

"You pretended you could read minds, right?" Chrome confirmed, likely having heard this explanation from Senku. "Convincingly?"

"Among other things, yes." No need to deny it; any modern-timer knew the basis of Gen's old TV show.

"And this...psychology, you can use it to manipulate people?"

Again, no reason to deny it: Chrome had seen Gen manipulate Magma firsthand. "It can be, yes."

Chrome set a clay pot down on the glass lab bench with a loud clack. "Then what, exactly, are your intentions toward Senku?"

Gen didn't react to the accusation. He poured collected rainwater into the pot he was scrubbing, swirled it around, then dumped it outside the doorway, all using his one good hand. After setting the pot back down, he met Chrome's gaze curiously. "What business is that of yours?"

Chrome's ears turned red and he looked away sharply, his grip tightening around the little clay pot. "He's... Senku is... He's got a lot on his plate right now, with the fight against Tsukasa and being the village chief and using science to help the village as well as win the war..."

Gen barely held back a smirk. "If you know all of that, then why did you decide it was a good time to confess your feelings less than a week ago?"

Chrome's face went red, but he turned back with an angry glare. "If you know I confessed, then you know why your intentions are my business."

"Ha." Gen rinsed the iron pot again, slowly and methodically. "Well, you should take comfort in the knowledge that I have no intention of confessing any feelings or intentions to Senku. It doesn't take a mentalist to know he won't be grateful or flattered by such a declaration."

A series of conflicting emotions and questions flickered over Chrome's face all at once. In the end, he simply looked confused and asked: "How can you just know that?"

The look actually tugged at Gen's almost non-existent heart-strings. In another life, Chrome and Senku would have been perfect for each other, but in this life, Chrome was always going to come up just short through no fault of his own. He just lacked the experience that any modern-timer would have, that was all.

"Tell me, Chrome-chan." Gen squinted at a spot inside the bowl and scrubbed hard at it. "In one of your one-hundred stories, is there one about sex? Or specifically, one about sexual orientation?"

If anything, Chrome turned even more pink. "Yeah. I mean, there's a few, but I don't know that there needed to be one to explain where babies come from."

Gen couldn't help but laugh. "You'd be surprised how necessary that is, but that's not what I'm talking about. Based on your confession to Senku and your jealousy of my interactions with him, I can only assume that your society isn't particularly judgmental about same-sex relationships. Is that right?"

"Oh, yeah. I mean, no." Chrome shook his head. "There is a story about acceptance that covers everything from gender to skin color to religion." He made a face at that. "Not that I really get the religion part; how would anyone know to be respectful of other viewpoints if they didn't already have the one-hundred stories?"

"Let's table that discussion for another day." Gender expression and sexual orientation were difficult topics already; Gen did _not_ want to start explaining religious differences. "But you're at least familiar with the concept that relationships or sexual orientations aren't always between a man and a woman?"

"Yeah." Chrome shrugged. "A woman can love a woman and a man can love a man, it’s no different from a man and a woman." He thought for a moment, then added: "And I guess it's possible to love either gender, too, now that I think of it."

"I'm sure that was a profound moment of personal discovery for yourself," Gen told him. "But the concept of orientation and expression is actually much wider than that. And with respect to Byakuya-sensei for thinking to include such a story of acceptance, I could honestly tell about a hundred stories solely about gender, gender expression and sexual orientation, never mind all the moral and survivalist stories he created for you all."

"That much?" Chrome asked, seemingly awed. "But...but it's simple, isn't it? Either someone likes guys or girls or both and then that's it, right?"

"Oh, my dear Chrome." Gen sighed. The iron pot was about as clean as he could get it, so Gen flipped it over and sat on it, reaching out into the rain to grab one of the little clay jars collecting rainwater. He began scrubbing out the nearest one mindlessly as he spoke. "There are so many different ways to express gender, or lack thereof, or orientation, or lack thereof, and expressions of love--or lack thereof--that we used to use a rainbow as the symbol of inclusion to encompass them all. And while it would be inappropriate for me to speculate aloud on someone else's orientation--much less Senku's--I don't mind sharing my own as an example. I’m what you would call pansexual, which means I can be attracted to anyone, regardless of whether they express themselves as male, female, both, or neither. As a byproduct of my understanding of the human mind, I tend to see a person’s mind, rather than their outer shell."

"Both?" Chrome asked, mystified. "Neither? How...how does that..."

"I imagine in a society as small as yours, it doesn't come up often. Or, perhaps, the people who feel differently don't have the means to express themselves properly." Gen set the first little pot aside and picked up the next one. In order to avoid using his burned hand, he braced each little pot between his knees to hold it steady as he scrubbed out the insides. "But the notion that the genitalia you're born with defines you by a set of external characteristics is an antiquated one at best. Once Senku revives all of humanity, you'll see for yourself."

"Okay, but--" Chrome was visibly compartmentalizing, his forehead resting in his hand as he sorted this new information. That had always been impressive to Gen: how quickly Chrome assimilated new data. "What does this have to do with confessing feelings to Senku? Or...does this have anything to do with Senku?"

"It's merely speculation on my part and I don't wish to spread any information that isn't true," Gen said, carefully inspecting the inside of the jar with the scant light available. "But I think it's entirely possible that Senku falls outside what your village would define as the 'norm' of sexuality."

"And that gives you the right to, what, exactly?" Chrome pressed. "Make a move on him just because you understand all this expression stuff and I don't?"

If only it were that simple. Gen set the clean jar on a drying rack and reached for another one. How many of these stupid jars had they used? It hardly seemed worth it considering how little shampoo he'd gotten out of it. "I do think it puts me in a better position to understand Senku. But that doesn't exactly stack the deck in my favor." Which was why he was putting so much effort into stacking said deck. "Chrome, you're just going to have to trust that Senku won't do anything he isn't ten-billion percent willing to do. And I guarantee he understands more of what I'm doing than you will. So while you have my sincerest sympathies--" Gen looked up, meeting Chrome's eyes over the lab bench. "Don't worry about what I'm doing."

Chrome glared back just as hard. "You know it's my home you sleep in every night."

"I'm aware," Gen said lightly. "And you have every right to kick me out anytime you wish. But what would Senku say to that, I wonder?"

Chrome muttered something darkly under his breath, then started drying the iron stands and firing plates in order to neatly stack them on a shelf. "I could tell Senku about this talk we had and that you're up to something."

"You could," Gen allowed. "But then again, Senku likely already recognizes what I'm up to--he is pretty smart, after all. And such a talk would undoubtedly recall to mind your own confession and that would just make things awkward between the two of you again, wouldn't it?"

Chrome sighed. For a moment he fell still, eyes distant as he watched the rain fall. It had picked up again, which was likely the reason Senku wasn't back yet. At least, Gen hoped that was the reason Senku hadn't returned yet; he didn't want to think his ankle was hurting too much to walk on. At least the renewed downpour helped clean the clay jars without wasting the stored water Senku kept in the lab. And the cool wind kicked up by the rain kept Gen's burn from throbbing too badly. At least, that was what he told himself to take his mind off the pain.

"Just..." Chrome's voice sounded timid all of a sudden, as if he hadn't been combative just a moment ago. "Just don't take Senku away from me."

Gen paused, stilling his motions with the cleaning cloth. "What?"

"It's just...I never would have learned this much about science if I'd never met him," Chrome explained, voice still small. "I don't...I don't want to lose that."

Gen smiled as he turned his attention back to his work. "You don't need to worry about that, Chrome-chan. While Senku's romantic leanings might be somewhat of a mystery, I can say with confidence that he's not the type to ever give up on a friendship. And he certainly values you at least as much as you value him."

Chrome looked away, but not before Gen caught sight of his lower lip trembling. "Thanks, Gen. That actually means a lot."

"It should," Gen replied with a nod. "Senku isn't the type to make friends quickly or easily. Now hurry up and help me finish cleaning all of this. I'm injured and half-starved!"

Chrome chuckled. "Why not just use your mentalism to finish faster?"

"That's not--argh!" Gen threw an arm up in exasperation. "If I faint from hunger, you're the one who's going to have to carry me up the ladder to your hut."

Chrome snorted. "Yeah, that'll happen."

They shared a brief grin, then turned back to their work. And if it wasn't amiability that passed between them just then, it was at least an understanding. Which was good because Gen needed to maintain at least a cordial relationship with Chrome in order for any of his plans to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: You really can wash your hair with just baking soda and vinegar. Just not with both at the same time! For more fun hair washing tips—I mean, if you want updates on this fic, please follow me on Twitter!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Senku finally has the ingredients to make the eucalyptus cough drops and recruits Gen to help out in the lab. Gen thinks his plan are moving along smoothly…but are they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a whole lot of action here, but then again Dr. Stone does manage to make action scenes out of chemistry and glass-blowing, which I’m having trouble translating into a fic. But there is hope for a spark of romance by the end of the chapter! ^_~

"And then to make it disappear--" Suika tapped her closed hand with a foxtail, then opened it, revealing nothing inside. "Ta-da!"

"Yay! Very good!" Gen applauded his young apprentice. "That misdirect was very well done! One small thing, though."

Gen pointed to the ground, where Suika had accidentally dropped the flat blue stone she'd been attempting to disappear.

"Ah! Suika dropped it again!" Suika looked disappointed.

"That's not your fault," Gen said, patting the top of her melon-hat. "Your clothing lacks sleeves, so it's harder to hide the stone with a small motion. You might consider putting some pockets into that poncho of yours in order to hide the stone quickly without dropping it."

"Oh, Suika can do that!" Suika swept up the stone from the ground, clutching it like it was something precious. "Suika can sew a good pocket!"

"Just be careful the stitches don't show on the outside of your clothes," Gen suggested. "Otherwise, people will guess that's where you've hidden it."

"Hm..." Suika thought deeply about that for a minute, then brightened up. "Oh! Suika knows! Suika will stitch an extra pocket to be empty and then a secret one for misdirection! Is that okay?"

"That's a wonderful idea!" Gen clapped his hands together and grinned. "Now you're thinking like an illusionist."

Suika blushed and rocked on the balls of her toes, still holding her stone and the foxtail she'd been using as a magic wand. "Can Gen show the hidden flower trick one more time?"

She meant the one he'd performed on the bridge in front of Magma, where he'd flipped the flowers over the backs of his hands, making it seem as if he'd disappeared the flowers. But before Gen could pluck the foxtail from Suika's fingers to show her, Senku and the rest of his merry band returned to the kingdom of science bearing metal buckets that appeared heavy, given that only Kinro and Kohaku were carrying them. Senku and Chrome had been discussing something, but Senku looked up the moment they cleared the tree line.

"Let's go, modern man!" Senku called through a grin. "It's time to try making those cough drops you wanted so much."

"I don't know that I _wanted_ them so much as I simply happened to recognize the eucalyptus trees, but never mind." Gen rose from his crouch at the central firepit, swiping dirt from his winter clothes. "Sorry, Magician Suika, but duty calls."

"Can Suika try the candies when they're finished?" Suika asked brightly.

"It's not candy," Senku interjected. "The cough drops will have a little more in them than just the eucalyptus oil, which makes them medicinal. They can't just be eaten like candy."

"Ah, but Senku-chan, we already have the ingredients for hard candies," Gen pointed out. "We could make both candy _and_ cough drops without too much difficulty."

"This isn't like the cotton candy, Gen," Senku argued as Kinro and Kohaku set the buckets of resin and syrup on the table inside the lab. "There's nothing to test here besides flavor, and that's not the most important thing when it comes to medicine."

"As usual, you are thinking too narrowly, Senku-chan," Gen admonished. To better demonstrate his point, Gen rolled his hand, producing a bit of rock candy in his palm with a flourish. "Observe. I made this rock candy out of sugar and a bit of the grape juice the villagers have been crushing and storing for wine. It's very sweet, and quite unique. As you know, it takes over a week to make a single piece of rock candy."

Senku stood outside the lab, his arms folded as he waited for Gen to make his point. Suika was staring up at the candy in Gen's hand with rapt attention, but she wasn't the only one. Gen smiled and he held the candy high, showing it off to everyone. Kinro was unmoved as usual, but Kohaku and Chrome tracked the movement with calm interest. Ginro, however, started drooling.

"Only one piece of candy," Gen sighed, making the violet orb sparkle in the sunlight. "It's too small to split so I guess I'll have to give it to..."

Suika clasped her hands in front of her chest and began to chant "please please please" under her breath while Ginro started stuttering about how hard he'd worked to help collect syrup and resin, and that hard workers deserve benefits, like grape-flavored candy. He pretended not to hear it when Kinro pointed out he hadn't even helped carry that buckets back to camp.

"Since you've asked so nicely, Senku-chan, I guess I'll give it to you." Gen rolled the candy in his palm and flicked it to Senku, who caught it with a snap of his fist.

"Aw!" Suika sagged to the ground, looking dejected.

Ginro burst out crying.

Gen spread his hands as if to say "You see."

Senku rolled his eyes. "You're saying you need hard candies to give the appearance of fairness. Why can't you just say that outright?"

"I like demonstrations," Gen replied with a bow. "And it's not just about fairness, either. I don't know how much time you've spent among small children, Senku-chan, but they catch on quickly. It wouldn't be long before they began to realize that only the children with a cough are being given the sweets. Once they realized that, they would start pretending to be sick without realizing that medicine isn't good for healthy people. And I'm not just limiting that to children, either."

Ginro was slowly reaching up towards Senku's closed hand, as if to snatch the candy away from him. Senku shot him a grin before tossing the candy up and catching it in his mouth. Ginro collapsed to the ground in a dejected heap while Gen slipped a new piece of candy out of his pocket and snuck it into Suika's hand, making her beam in delight.

"You should say thank you to Gen, Ginro." Senku nudged Ginro with the toe of his boot, candy bulging in the side of his mouth. "You'll get to help us taste-test the finished candies."

"Really?" Ginro looked up, eyes shining. "When will those be ready?"

"Tomorrow, maybe." Senku shrugged. "If we get to work." He tipped his head to the lab. "C'mon, modern man."

Gen sighed heavily. "Work work work. That's all this kingdom of science ever is."

Chrome made a disbelieving noise as he followed Senku into the lab. "You didn't even come with us to collect the syrup. Why do you get to complain?"

"I spent the morning thinking up that clever demonstration to get Senku to make candy," Gen argued. "I could show you again if you missed it."

"Stop fooling around," Senku advised, pulling down firing plates, pot stands and metal bowls. "We're going to start off making small batches and testing out the flavor, consistency and medical effects of each recipe. Chrome, you're going to match my prototype but at five percent concentration of the eucalyptus oil. Gen, I wrote the measurements down for you to follow."

"Ah, a written recipe!" Gen took the slate Senku slid across the lab bench at him. "So much easier to refer to than verbal instructions."

"Let's work quickly. We have to let each mixture heat up to boil away excess water, then cool enough to still be pliable before we pour them into Kaseki's molds. They won't technically be finished today as they really should set overnight, but we're just refining the recipe today, so they don't have to be perfect." Senku loaded up the table with ingredients, graduated cylinders and various equipment. Gen waited a beat before beginning, setting up his work station only after seeing Chrome and Senku set up theirs. When they each began measuring out ingredients, Gen followed the measurements Senku had written down.

"Hm," Gen hummed as he reached for the sugar.

"What?" Senku asked. "Do you think a measurement is off?"

"No, no. Or, even if it was, I'd have no way of knowing." Gen scooped out the sugar, leveling it off before adding it to his mixture. "I was just realizing that it's true what they say: A spoonful of sugar really does help the medicine go down."

Senku rolled his eyes before turning his focus back to his own mixture. Chrome just looked confused.

"What does that mean?"

"It's a reference to a movie. An old movie." Senku reconsidered. "Although, I suppose all movies are old now."

"Technically, it was a book before it was a movie," Gen pointed out. "But I admit, it was more famous as a movie than as a book."

"And movies were like performances, but in a...glass box?" Chrome said, brow furrowed as he measured out the sugar for his mixture. "And books were full of markings like those." He jabbed a finger at Gen's recipe slate.

"You'll see all those things," Senku said with a grin. "The world is going to wake up and recreate itself. You'll see some amazing things, Chrome. I promise."

"I know television might still be a long way off," Gen said, removing his winter coat and rolling up his sleeves before lighting the fire under his mixing bowl. No need to repeat the mistake from last time! "But from what I understand, a printing press is fairly low-tech. Even a typewriter can function without a power source, can't it?"

"That's true, and I have been tempted," Senku admitted, just a hint of wistfulness in his voice. "But the only other person who can read besides me is you, Gen. I can't justify spending the resources on anything in regards to writing."

"A shame," Gen sighed. "I'll have to keep telling the stories of bygone days over the fire at night in lieu of bedtime reading. I've nearly finished relating all the Sherlock Holmes stories I can remember. What do you think I should tell next, Senku? Mary Poppins, perhaps? Or how about Harry Potter?"

Senku shook his head. Gen had mostly been teasing and hadn't really expected an answer, but then: "You should tell something more classic. Even the old-fashioned machines in Sherlock Holmes confuse the villagers. You should try telling the Odyssey, or something along those lines. The background concepts would be easier to grasp."

"The Odyssey, huh?" Gen stirred his mixture thoughtfully for a moment. "I'm afraid I never read that one in its entirety, though I know bits and pieces of it." He lifted his eyes, watching Senku as he meticulously labeled the dimpled tray for the cough drops. "I do remember the tale of Achilles and Patroclus."

"The Illiad is just as good as the Odyssey," Senku said without looking up. "It's the same time period, after all. There isn't much of a technological difference between ancient Greece and this stone world, which makes it easy for the villagers to follow."

Gen only nodded, focusing instead on stirring the mixture that was slowly beginning to bubble and churn. It was a sticky mass and the scent of eucalyptus was making his eyes water and his nose run. If the mixture sat too long, it would begin to burn on the bottom, so he had to use a thick cloth to hold the metal bowl still while he stirred. He left the implication behind his mention of Achilles and Patroclus sit and stew in the forefront of Senku's brain, hopefully a planted seed that could be harvested later.

Gen jumped when Chrome set down his stirring rod with a sharp _clack_.

"There's something I don't understand." He looked from Senku to Gen, both apparently startled. "You two never met back in the past, right?"

Senku slid his gaze over to meet Gen's, then shook his head. "No, we never met. I did know who Gen was, but we never spoke or corresponded with each other."

"Then how can you know so many of the same things? You both talk about books and movies and whatever this Odd-thing is like these are shared experiences. But if you never met, how could you both know so many of the same things? If I were to encounter another village like Ishigami Village, I wouldn't expect them to know the One Hundred Stories, yet there isn't a story that Gen has told over the fire that you don't already know, Senku."

"You're right," Senku agreed. "There's no system for sharing information in this world, which is exactly why this cellphone we're building is so important. Nothing is more vital than communication."

"I think I might debate you on that, Senku-chan," Gen interjected. "Communication _is_ extremely important, but accuracy of information might be even moreso. The endurance of the written word is quite possibly just as important or even more important than the sharing of oral information. How else would we know so much about ancient Greece, if not for the Illiad and the Odyssey, which have endured in their original format since the BC era?"

"Those are works of fiction," Senku pointed out. "They have some value historically, and perhaps serve as moral tales in some instances, but that's not as important as communication."

"But written records can tell future generations how to build something or how to cook something or how to heal an injury or illness," Gen pointed out. "Before humanity had the means of distance-communication, they first established a written language."

"There's truth to that," Senku admitted. "But in such a small population, teaching reading and writing is a low priority."

"I want to learn," Chrome spoke up. "It would be useful for me, wouldn't it? If you could write down instructions for me the same way you do for Gen?"

Senku huffed, rubbing the back of his neck as he considered it. "Gen can follow a written recipe, but he's not a scientist like you, Chrome."

"Yep, that's true!" Gen chirped.

"A step-by-step guide takes the science out of the equation and doesn't help you understand or reason out all the possible outcomes," Senku continued, ignoring Gen to focus on Chrome. "I need you to keep your brain turned on, so you're able to adapt when experiments don't go the way we expect them to."

"So...it's better if I don't learn to read?" Chrome asked, skeptically.

"No, I'm just saying it isn't necessary right now." Senku used tongs to take his mixing bowl off the firing plate, then poured a stream of molten syrup into the iron cooling tray. "If we had the time to devote to it, I'd be all for it."

"Senku-chan, can you look and see if mine's done?" Gen asked, once Senku finished filling three candy-shaped indents in the molding tray. "And even though I don't have any say in this at all, for what it's worth, I don't think it would take any time at all to teach Chrome-chan to read."

Chrome's hand jerked as he was just filling his first mold on the tray, seemingly surprised to find Gen on his side. He quickly set the bowl down and scraped away the spilled syrup with a metal tool. Senku gave Gen's mixture a stir, then took it off the fire, telling Gen to pour it into the mold once Chrome was finished. With a wet cloth, Senku swiped out a few of the measurements on Gen's written slate, muttering to himself as he changed the formula for the next attempted recipe. Chrome finished cleaning up his spill while Gen flinchingly attempted to fill the molds in the tray using tongs to hold the hot metal bowl at a distance.

"You really think I could learn it that fast, Gen?" Chrome asked skeptically.

"You learn fast overall," Gen explained, sweating as he set the bowl down. He'd only filled one tiny mold, but the work was exacting and his arms grew tired quickly. "All I'm saying is that you already recognize letters and associate them with the objects they represent."

"Keep pouring, Gen, don't let it get cool," Senku said without looking up from the slate.

Gen rolled his eyes and reached for the unwieldy tongs again, but Chrome beat him to it, managing to finish the remaining two candy molds in half the time it had taken Gen to pour one.

"What do you mean?" Chrome asked, setting the empty mixing bowl back down. "What letters?"

"The labels on all of Senku's little pots and jars here." Gen waved a hand at the shelves upon shelves of chemicals and compounds, all labeled in Senku's messy scrawl. "If Senku asks you for the sulfuric acid, you know exactly which one that is, don't you?"

"Chrome helped collect, store and create all the chemical compounds in here, Gen," Senku reminded him, finishing his notes on the slate. "Of course he knows which one is the sulfuric acid."

"Okay, one moment." Gen held up a finger. "Chrome, turn around, please."

"What? Why?"

"Because I'm about to prove the genius Senku wrong," Gen said with a wicked smirk. "Turn around."

Senku sighed heavily. "Is this another one of your big demonstrations, Gen?"

"Why not? We're just waiting for the cough drops to cool, aren't we?" Gen surveyed the shelves of chemicals behind Chrome's back. Even though he could read the labels, that didn't necessarily mean he knew what everything was. Senku preferred to use the chemical shorthand in his labels, so to Gen the container marked "HCl" might as well have been the exact same thing as the one marked "H2SO4," but at least he knew enough not to mix, drop or drink any of them. He selected a few containers at random, choosing glasses of the same shape and size with liquids the same approximate colors all to prove his point. He jumbled the order while Chrome stood with his back turned.

"We could start on the next recipes," Senku suggested, watching Gen with a put-upon air.

"Without taste-testing the first ones?" Gen asked, feigning outrage. "How would we know whether to add more sugar or more eucalyptus? Better to wait, I think. Okay, Chrome-chan, turn around."

Chrome faced the row of Erlenmeyer flasks, eyes skimming the hand-written labels quickly.

"So I don't know which, but at least one of these must be sulfuric acid, right?" Gen asked, gesturing to the bottles.

"A few of them are," Chrome replied. "We made different concentrations for different reactions. This one's the pure one, though, straight from Sulfurina's lake."

"Is he right, Senku-chan?"

"Of course he's right," Senku said, digging at something in his ear. "I told you, we made all these together. We use them every day. That's not the same thing as reading them."

Gen frowned at Senku then turned his shoulder on him to face Chrome. "You said dilutions of acid, right? Can you tell me the weakest to the strongest?"

The bottles all looked completely identical, save for the labels, yet Chrome was able to pull each one out of the mixed-up jumble Gen had made of them, even telling Gen where to put each one away. After that, Chrome named off the remaining bottles. "Hydrochloric acid. Aquaresia. Sodium hydroxide. Methyl alcohol. Distilled water."

"Really? Water?" Gen picked up the last flask and frowned at it. "Really, Senku-chan? You needed to label it 'H2O' instead of just water?"

"It's distilled water, I didn't want it getting mixed up with regular water." Senku waved a hand dismissively. "Okay, so you've proven that Chrome can recognize letters and associate them to their correct chemical formulas. How is that helpful? Those are all from the English alphabet, they're not going to help him learn to read and write in Japanese."

"I'm only proving that Chrome has the intelligence to learn quickly," Gen replied. "It wouldn't take very much at all to at least teach him a few basic characters."

"I'll work hard, Senku," Chrome promised. "I already figured out your symbols for numbers, didn't I?"

"Math is easy," Senku said with a shrug. "It's not that I don't think you can learn it, Chrome, I'm certain you can. I just don't want to split your focus right now. I need you to be a scientist more than I need you to be a student."

"It wouldn't take very much," Gen said, pouting slightly. "He could learn a few characters a night, either over dinner or before bed. Most days, you've got him working with Kaseki to manufacture parts for the waterwheel, which is almost all physical focus, rather than mental, which leaves his mind free to absorb new material without taking time away from important tasks."

"Eh..." Senku leaned back, his arms crossed over his chest. Chrome looked from Senku to Gen and back again, as if observing a tennis match. "What about burn-out? I can't have the only other scientist breaking down on me from working too hard."

Gen huffed. "Reading and writing stimulates entirely different sections of the brain than math, chemistry and engineering. He's more likely to burn out if he _doesn't_ switch gears every once in a while. Isn't that why you schedule days like this one, Senku-chan? Because testing recipes for cough drops and candy is different from drawing blueprints and carving building materials to tack onto the waterwheel, right?"

"Hmm..." Senku stared at the ground before lifting his eyes to Gen's. "I guess you're saying it wouldn't just be helpful for Chrome to learn reading and writing, but it would be good for his mental health, too, is that right mentalist?"

"Yes, it would be," Gen affirmed.

"And you think he can learn it without taking time away from other projects, like working in the lab or his engineering work?"

"Yes, I think he could."

"Well, then." Senku's grin was as wicked as any demon's. "Thanks for volunteering to step in as Chrome's reading and writing instructor, Gen-sensei."

Gen's jaw dropped. "Wuh--I--That isn't--"

"Uh, I appreciate that, Senku, but--" Chrome cast a doubtful look over at Gen. "I'd rather you teach me. You’ve already taught me so much, it’s hard to think of anyone else as a teacher."

"Nah, Gen is right." Senku couldn't seem to quit smirking. "The best way to learn is to engage different parts of your brain to prevent it from overloading on a single subject matter, so it's best to have different teachers for different subjects. Besides, Gen is a psychologist--practically a real modern-day teacher. He'll have all sorts of tricks and memorization techniques to help you learn faster than I could."

"But, ah, Senku-chan--"

"You said this was a good idea," Senku threw back. "Don't slack, Gen. I expect to see you quizzing Chrome daily whenever he's got the time. I look forward to being able to leave written instructions for the both of you."

"What are you going to be doing that you can't take the time to teach him yourself?" Gen said, finally pulling together an argument.

"Me?" Senku cocked an eyebrow. "I'll be drawing up blueprints for Kaseki. There's a lot of untapped potential in that waterwheel and it's going to take weeks to put all of it together, then some fine-tuning to make sure it's running efficiently. And drawing complex designs to a specific scale takes both sides of the brain, doesn't it, mentalist?"

"It does, but, um..."

"And what were you planning on doing while we're adding to the waterwheel, hm?" Senku asked devilishly. "It's not as if you're a scientist or a craftsman or a hunter or any other useful thing in this stone world. Were you hoping to just take a nice little vacation while the rest of us worked?"

"Oh, fine." Gen blew out a breath, frustrated but forced to concede that Senku had won this round. He turned to Chrome, eyeing him doubtfully. "At least you learn fast, so this won't take that long. And I expect you to address me as Sensei."

"Yeah, I'm not going to do that," Chrome replied. "It's not like it can be that hard, right? I picked up chemistry and advanced mathematics fast enough."

Gen reached out to the slate tablet Senku had used to write down the recipe for the cough drops. He read it over quickly, then handed the tablet to Chrome. "Aside from the numbers, does anything here look familiar to you?"

"Uh..." Chrome frowned at the slate, squinting and tilting his head. "Here! These two symbols mean milliliters. And this one means grams."

Senku laughed out loud. Gen sighed as he placed the slate on the lab bench. Chrome frowned, confused.

"The only letters you picked out were the English ones, which Senku uses in his labels and equations." Gen massaged his forehead. "You're going to have to stop thinking of those as letters, because they mean nothing for reading Japanese."

"Not any of them?" Chrome asked, surprised. "But then why use them at all?"

"Because science, unlike languages, is universal." Senku shrugged. "I traveled a lot, met a lot of foreign scientists and even if we didn't speak the same language, math and chemistry was always the same. Chemical symbols are universally recognized, so it's still important to know. But for notes like this--" He pointed to the slate. "--those letters don't mean anything."

Chrome rubbed his forehead. "That’s _bad._ Okay, fine. So how do we start?"

"First." Senku tapped the tray of cooling cough drops. "Let's try these."

"They're ready?" Gen asked surprised. "That was fast."

"They'll still be a little warm in the center, but all we're doing is tasting for now. Since there is medicine in this, we shouldn't eat the whole thing, just get a good enough taste, then spit it out." Senku popped out the first row of cough drops, the one made by his own recipe and dropped one into Chrome's palm and another into Gen's palm. Gen held his up to the light. It was an amber color, with bubbles and ripples frozen within the cooling shell, not the crystal-clear candy he remembered from modern times, but not too much different, either.

"Ready?" Senku asked, holding his cough drop in a cupped hand. "Just suck on it, Chrome, don't bite it or swallow it."

Gen barely kept a straight face through that instruction.

"Let's go." Senku popped the candy into his mouth with Chrome following suit. Gen pretended to eat his, instead palming it and watching his fellow guinea pigs.

Chrome's eyes immediately began to water, his nose running freely. Senku's expression turned sour. He only lasted a moment before turning his head and spitting the cough drop out. Gen affected a grossed-out expression and pretended to spit the cough drop back into the palm it had never left in the first place. No need to test what was already obvious to all of them.

"It's like a cold burn." Chrome shook his head before finally spitting the cough drop out. "I can feel it in my ears and the back of my jaw."

"Yeah, the eucalyptus oil is obviously too strong in this recipe." Senku was laughing as he rinsed his mouth out with water. "Maybe more sugar, too? I thought the syrup would have added more sweetness, but it didn't work out that way."

"Should we even bother trying the others?" Gen asked, grimacing. "The eucalyptus oil will be strong in each of them."

"There's enough of a modification in each recipe that we might as well try the others," Senku affirmed. He popped the next set of drops out of the mold and handed them out. "Ready?"

Gen sighed as if put upon, once again pretending to taste the drop. As expected, both Chrome's recipe and Gen's recipe were equally as disastrous as the first. Senku only grinned at the challenge and told Chrome which recipe he would be making next, while modifying the recipe on Gen's slate. Gen pretended to be annoyed, but actually, it wasn't a bad way to spend an afternoon at all.

~*~^~*~

Senku wasn't sure that he'd ever paid much attention to the change in seasons before waking up in the stone world after three thousand, seven hundred years of petrification. Objectively, he knew summer was hot, winter was cold, spring was the time to grow, fall was the time to harvest, but that was all abstract. He'd never needed to think about summer's heat because of air conditioning. He'd never needed to think about winter because of warm clothes and indoor heating. Food came from grocery stores or restaurants, with no need to plant, water or harvest anything of his own. Now, his very survival depended on preparing for the change in the seasons, or else he would starve or freeze. At least this year promised to be easier than last year: last year, he and Taiju had just barely survived. Now, he had an entire village to help weather the winter.

Still, he found himself supremely annoyed on the first truly cold day of autumn. The chill seeping through the seams of his clothing reminded him of just how good he'd had it back in the modern age and how much he had taken for granted back then.

Even more annoying was how no one else seemed to feel that first cold day the same way Senku did. The villagers continued on as if nothing had changed: no one remarked upon the weather or donned heavier clothing. Hell, Kohaku still ran around in the same tiny dress she usually did, even if this winter one was more insulated than her warm-weather dress. Perhaps the natives had built up a tolerance to the change in the weather, but shouldn't Gen, his fellow modern-timer, at least be feeling the chill?

Senku stood in his lab, mixing up vats of the pickling solution that would keep meats and other foods fresh all winter: a boring enterprise, but a necessary one. The process was boring enough that he kept finding his attention drawn outside, towards the central area of his little kingdom of science, where the village children sat coiling the strands of gold endlessly into wires. Ever since finalizing the recipe for the cough drops as well as the hard candies Gen requested, Gen spent most days sitting outside with the village children, though what he was doing there Senku wasn't entirely certain. He kept his hands tucked inside his sleeves, so he clearly wasn't helping. By the smiles on the childrens' faces, he might be telling stories, though how that was at all beneficial, Senku wasn't certain. If Gen wasn't going to properly help the village prepare for winter, or assist in the scientific endeavors of either Senku or Chrome, he could at least have the decency to act as cold as Senku felt. Then again, Gen did wear a lot more clothing. And he likely used a touch of mentalism on himself to stay warm. But still. Senku found himself annoyed.

After taking the pickling solution off the heat to cool, Senku decided to wander past Gen's little circle of happy children. Maybe if Gen wasn't being useful here, Senku would drag him to help Chrome and Kaseki at the river. Something always needed carrying, carving or resizing and the only requirement to help was to have the basic strength of, well...Senku.

Senku circled around the open area, as if he were walking towards the trail to village in order to approach Gen from behind. The mentalist was tricky; Senku imagined that if Gen saw him coming, he would immediately begin "working" to prove he was too busy to go and help down at the river. The only way to catch him being useless was to sneak up on him.

Senku frowned as he drew closer. Was that sound...singing?

It was singing! He paused for a minute, confused, as he noted Gen swaying slightly as he sang a rhyming melody, the children joining in when they knew the words. As Senku watched, each child in the circle reached out with their left hand to gather a new piece of gold thread to weave into their current wire, almost in perfect unison. Suika was the first one to notice him, smiling brightly at him without ever letting go of the motions that wove her wire together. Gen turned around, halting his song to lift an eyebrow at Senku.

"Taking a walk, Senku-chan?" Gen asked. "It's good to clear your head every once in a while."

"What are you doing?" Senku asked bluntly. Most of the children were still humming along to Gen's tune even though he'd stopped, their movements practiced by now as they coiled the threads into wire.

"Singing," Gen said brightly. When Senku held his silence, Gen continued: "Rhythmic melodies assist with coordination and repetitive tasks. Sort of like the sea shanties of old. And music is also good for keeping up morale."

"Suika likes the singing!" Suika put in, still swaying as she worked. "Gen always has new songs to sing! It's fun!"

Senku blinked, somewhere between confused and charmed. "This is what you've been doing every day? Singing to the kids?"

"Not all day." Gen laced his fingers together and stretched his arms. "I make sure they take breaks and that they stretch their hands to keep from going stiff."

A child turned their head and coughed into their shoulder. Gen took a small pouch from the inside of his overcoat and distributed sweets to the circle of children. Senku noted that the child who coughed got a "candy" in a different colored wrapper from the others--likely a cough drop in disguise. As the children took a brief break to suck on their candies, they flexed and stretched their fingers and shook out their hands. Everyone seemed happy, despite the intense labor they performed day after day all in the name of science.

"Did you need something, Senku-chan?" Gen asked, looking up at him again. He held up the pouch of wrapped candies in offering. "Candy?"

"No." The pouch was looking a little empty. Senku made a note to make another batch soon. "I was just going to go check in on the crafts team."

"Tell them I said hello," Gen said, tucking the pouch away in his coat again. "And if he has the time, ask Chrome to draw the vowels for you."

Senku chuckled as he walked away. Only a few moments later, he heard the singing resume. Who would have thought that sitting around and singing could actually be helpful?

Gen didn't spend every day with the kids, Senku noticed. Infrequently, he would be down at the river with the crafts team, usually sitting on something high, like an unlit furnace, or a tree branch, or one of the stationary axles of the waterwheel. It never looked like he was helping there, either, at least not to Senku's eye, but no one ever complained about him being there, so he wasn't in the way. Other days, Senku couldn't say where Gen was; it seemed like he vanished entirely. Once, while Senku was talking to Ruri, she mentioned something about Gen leading the foragers to a trove of mushrooms, so maybe he was helping with winter preparations after all.

All Senku could say for certain was that Gen was not in the lab. Or often even close to the lab. Which was good, really, because he didn't have time to be supervising a scientific-infant all the time, there was far too much to do. But it was also...strangely lonely?

That's a strange thought, Senku realized as he sealed jars of preserves. I'm not alone. I don't feel alone. I was more alone last winter with only Taiju. So why would I think something like that now?

_Because_ I had Taiju last year, Senku thought to himself. It wasn't that Taiju was just anyone, he was a close friend and a fellow modern-timer who could commiserate over how miserable life was in the stone world. Everyone in the village just took the stone world in stride with no thoughts of electric heaters, or warm clothes that weren't itchy, or heat without a fire. The only person who could relate to any of that was Gen.

And yet, lately it seemed Gen was everywhere but nearby.

Even when they shared space in Chrome's hut overnight, Gen wasn't prone to reminiscing or even complaining about the stone world. Instead, he seemed to have taken to his role as Chrome's reading instructor fairly seriously, going over a new set of hiragana nightly. Chrome was able to correctly recognize characters after only seeing them a few times, but had trouble writing the characters himself. Which made sense, really--Chrome had grown up hiking and climbing and collecting rocks. He had a physical endurance that Senku could be envious of. But fine motor coordination, that was learned over a lifetime and until recently, Chrome had no reason to practice it, so it made perfect sense that he had trouble mastering the letters. Gen was a patient instructor, letting Chrome sketch out letters as big as he needed to, writing with a stick in the dirt in order to practice, making corrections only when the character came out too ambiguous. Chrome complained about the characters that looked similar at first glance, like "i" and "ri," but he never showed any signs of genuine frustration. And, as Senku had suspected, Gen had plenty of memorization techniques to help Chrome remember which character was which sound. It was going slowly, but the progress was steady.

Teaching suited Gen.

Another strange thought, Senku admitted to himself. Although, logically speaking, someone had to lay the groundwork to help the villagers learn reading and writing. One day, all of humanity would be revived and Senku didn't want Ishigami Village to be left behind when society returned. Teaching Chrome was a good start; Senku could only hope his success would encourage other villagers to seek the same education.

But the fact was that Gen's major lessons occurred in the hut at night, just prior to sleep. He'd quiz Chrome throughout the day, but nighttime, just before bed, was really the only dedicated time they had for lessons. And the few times Senku had tried to offer assistance, Gen had silenced him with a "Oh, you want to be the sensei now?" And because Senku didn't want to take over this particular area of Chrome's development himself, he'd backed off. Which left him listening to the lessons over his tea, right up until he fell asleep. It wasn't bad at all, it just...it wasn't like the warm summer nights, when Senku and Gen used to tell Chrome about the how the world used to be and all the things they missed--all the things they would bring back. There was a key social component of Senku's daily routine that was somehow lacking, despite the people he was surrounded by. And he wasn't entirely certain how to fix it, or if it was even worth fixing.

But then the day came when Gen finally gave up his morning ritual of bathing by the central firepit, gathered up his personal soaps and shampoos, and trooped up the hillside with the other villagers going to the hot springs to bathe.

Senku only debated internally for a moment before going to get his towel.

~*~^~*~

Gen couldn't help but sigh as he melted into the hot-spring-fed pool. He loved a hot bath as much as anyone, really, but he hated making the trip up to the hot springs. Mostly, it was because he preferred to bathe alone--bathing was a sacred ritual and most of the villagers bathed together--noisily--in one of the larger community-sized pools. If he could make the trek up to the pools alone, it wouldn't be so bad, but ever since his and Senku's run-in with the lions, he preferred not to walk too far from the village on his own. He did, however, choose a small spring a little bit away from the community pool, which at least allowed some privacy. 

The other problem was the location. It was a long trek up the mountain and a long trek back--impossible to make a daily habit of. And often by the time he returned to the village, he felt gross all over again, as if washing had been an exercise in futility. But the mornings were far too cold now to continue bathing outside Chrome's hut as he had been, so he'd finally given up and joined the next sojourn up to the springs.

At least this means I can sleep in in the mornings now, Gen thought. And by "sleep in" he meant "curl into Senku's side for warmth," as was his new favorite pre-dawn ritual. So far, Senku hadn't said anything about it, but then that could just be because he'd grown used to Chrome's random flailings in the middle of the night. It was so difficult to know if he was making any progress with Senku or not; he expected Senku to be out-of-touch with his emotional needs, but not to the point of not having any emotional needs at all!

Gen had been deliberately distancing himself from Senku lately in an attempt to give them both the space for a wider perspective. Gen was acutely aware of the difference in their ages and their experiences, and the last thing he wanted was for Senku to feel manipulated or coerced--which was why it was so important for Senku to make all the first moves. But it was also equally likely that Senku simply...wouldn't.

And also, if Gen was being honest, he was actually a little annoyed at how Senku had tricked him into teaching Chrome to read and write. Not that he minded—teaching was really an extension of psychology anyway. But the way Senku had baited him into it…Gen hadn’t thought he was capable of that level of deception. It was frustrating…and more than a little impressive.

I might need a new plan, Gen thought, massaging his neck and shoulders as the heat of the water loosened them. If it's not going to be a relationship, there are other ways I can be indispensable. However less preferable that would be.

Gen's eyes fell closed as he relaxed into the pool. The community pool nearby was boisterously loud, so he didn't worry about hurrying through his ablutions. It had been quite a while since he'd had a luxurious soak and he intended to enjoy it. He might have even fallen asleep, if not for the shadow that fell across his face, deepening the dark behind his eyes. Gen blinked lazily, thinking perhaps the sun had dipped behind a cloud.

Then his heart tripped over itself before resuming its beat in double-time.

Senku stood at the foot of Gen's bath, a towel draped over his shoulder.

"Hey." Senku's expression was unreadable. Gen swallowed tightly.

"Hey," he repeated, his mind unable to supply a single other word to him.

There was a beat of silence, then: "You're not bathing with everyone else?"

"Ah, I just...didn't want to have to share the decadent soaps you made for me, Senku-chan." Gen's mind felt slippery, like it couldn't get any traction. He had been half asleep a minute ago--he certainly hadn't been expecting this!

"I brought my own," Senku said as he began taking off his lab coat. Gen felt his eyes widen in surprise. "Move over."

Too shocked to argue, Gen slid sideways in the pool. It was small--perhaps almost double the size of an in-home bathtub--which was exactly why Gen had chosen it. They could both fit, but with barely enough room to move around afterwards.

Senku was undressing as perfunctorily as he had the day they'd bathed together after fleeing from lions, no hint that anything else was on his mind aside from getting clean. Gen looked away as Senku stripped out of his loincloth, feeling heat on his cheeks unrelated to the heat in the pool. Senku stepped in from the far side of the pool, opposite Gen so that they sat face to face.

"You finally give up on bathing at the firepit, mentalist?" Senku asked, easing into the steaming pool.

"It seemed like the practical thing to do." Gen kept his eyes averted, suddenly inexplicably shy. He was the experienced one here! Why was he the one acting like an innocent maiden? "My water bucket has ice around the rim every morning, so it hardly seems worth it anymore. Not when the hot springs are so close by."

"That's what I've been telling you." Senku grinned briefly before bending forward and dunking his head under the water. When he sat up again, swiping water from his eyes, Gen couldn't help but note normally gravity-defying locks stuck across Senku's neck and shoulders. He brushed the long lock of his own hair behind his ear before reaching for his soap.

"I'm surprised you came to find me over here, Senku-chan." Gen felt as if his wits were finally beginning to recover from the shock of having Senku jump in the bath with him. He willed himself to stay calm as he massaged soap into his face. "Aren't you the official village chief now? Surely you should be among your people."

Senku gave a one-shouldered shrug. He was already rubbing a bar of soap along his shoulders, taking no time to revel in the heat, as Gen had. "Kokuyo is still the one in charge, really. It's not as if I know how much the village needs to store up to survive the winter. It's enough that I have manpower to help out in the kingdom of science whenever they can spare it, but except for Chrome and you, no one really understands what we're doing."

"You give me too much credit," Gen said with a chuckle. "I may be from the modern era, but half the time I don't understand what you're doing at all. I never gave any thought to how cellphones worked beyond checking to see if I had reception or not. We're not going to need a satellite or something crazy like that, are we?"

"Heh. Not for the distance to Tsukasa's camp." Gen didn't miss how Senku's eyes went soft as he looked skyward. "But we'll launch a satellite one day. Trust me on that."

"I do," Gen said, surprised that he meant it.

A few minutes of almost silence followed, both of them splashing gently as they washed. Gen leaned back to dunk his head, unable to help the slide of his legs against Senku's in the pool. When he sat up, he began working shampoo into his hair. He felt Senku's knee bump his beneath the mineral-dark water. A furtive glance through the suds in his hair showed Senku scrubbing fastidiously at...something out of sight. Gen coughed sharply and looked away, attempting to focus on his own ablutions. He splashed a handful of water into his hair, then foamed up the suds by digging at his roots. He often couldn't get this level of lather at the firepit, so it was nice to actually scour away the oils on his scalp. After a bit of scrubbing, he dunked his head to rinse the soap out.

When he surfaced, Senku was staring.

Gen swept the long lock of white hair out of his eyes, finding himself tongue-tied once again.

"Is it good?" Senku asked.

Gen's throat went dry. He had to cough to clear it. "Excuse me?"

"The shampoo." Ah, Senku wasn't staring so much as he was evaluating the product he'd made. That was both disappointing and relieving. "I've never noticed it foam before."

"Been watching me bathe, Senku-chan?" Gen teased, back on familiar ground now that he understood Senku's question. "I can't use this much water at the firepit, or else I'd soak through my clothes. It's nice to be able to get a good lather for once." He frowned as he finger-combed more soap out of his hair. "Although, I suppose I ought to enjoy it today, as it'll be another week until I can wash it again."

Senku laughed. He turned sideways in the pool, kicking one leg up against side to scrub at his feet. Beneath the surface, Senku's leg fell cross-wise over Gen's. He swallowed and silently coached himself through it as he rinsed his hair out.

This means nothing to Senku, he told himself steadily. This really is just washing. And questions about the soaps he made me. This is not personal. This is not "a move." This is just bathing.

Or...was it?

Gen tried to watch without watching as Senku scrubbed first one foot, then kicked the other up and scrubbed that one. Both times he switched, his leg brushed against Gen's. Was that intentional? Or was that simply unavoidable? What would “a move” from Senku even look like, honestly? The man was direct to a fault about most things, but Gen imagined he'd have difficulty expressing an attraction towards someone. If that were the case...was it totally out of line for Gen to make the first move? Or was it just out of line to make a move while they were bathing?

Wait a minute! Gen nearly jumped as the thought struck him. Senku had approached _him!_ The entire position they were in was because of Senku. Was it possible that this was how Senku made a move?

Gen tested the waters (literally) by drawing his knee in towards his chest, the top of his foot deliberately scraping against Senku's leg. Senku repositioned, shifting so he sat opposite Gen in the pool once more. He turned around to reach for something he'd left outside the spring--something far outside the spring by the stretch that lifted him half out of the water. When he turned back, he had powder stuck to his wet hand.

"Is that baking soda?" Gen asked, remembering their conversation when they made shampoo together. "Am I about to see a demonstration of Senku's Volcanic Shampoo System?"

"It doesn't mix with the vinegar," Senku said, grinning as he rolled his eyes. Instead of scrubbing the powder immediately through his hair, Senku scrubbed his face and neck first. "And it works. It just doesn't smell as nice as your luxury soaps."

"I like my luxury soaps," Gen said, picking strands of hair off his fingers. "Though I think I'd kill for a pedicure." He drew his leg out of the water and crossed it over his knee, trying to catch Senku's eye as he soaped up.

"Probably not a great idea." Senku's eyes barely flickered up as he splashed water on his face. "I know tough, dead skin wasn't desirable back in the modern age, but especially for someone who runs around barefoot all the time, removing those calluses would be a huge mistake. Just keep your nails short and keep an eye out for fungus."

"Fungus?" Gen asked distastefully.

"Yeah, fungus is ten billion percent still bad news." Senku looked up again. "Do you need something for foot fungus? I can make something if you--"

"No, I'm good. I don't need anything for foot fungus." Gen sighed as he dropped his leg back into water. If this was "a move" it was the least sexy move anyone had every tried to pull on him. Feeling a bit let down, Gen reached for his bottle of conditioner and worked it into his hair. He could hear that the conversation at the community pool had died down, which he could only assume meant that everyone was finally getting down to business and washing. He didn't want to be left behind when everyone else started heading back to the village.

Senku turned around again for another handful of baking soda and Gen let himself watch. More than likely, Senku hadn't been nearly so muscular before the end of the world. He wasn't overly cut now, either--even Chrome had more muscle tone overall in comparison--but neither was he scrawny or weak-looking. Water ran down hard back muscles, collecting in the divot of his spine to rush back into the spring. His shoulders were broad and threatening to grow broader: Senku was young, there were still a lot of changes ahead for him. He would likely never be big, like Magma or Tsukasa, but if he kept working as he was in this stone world--trotting up and down hills, walking miles every day, collecting, carrying, climbing and crafting, his body would begin to reflect that work. And Gen could already see that narrow chest filling out, his height stretching another few centimeters, those hands getting larger, stronger, firmer.

He had to swallow and look away by the time Senku turned back around. Dammit, but he'd let himself look a little too long--Gen's body was certainly reacting to what he'd seen. He'd have to wait for that to go away before he got out of the pool. In an effort to take his mind off it, he rinsed his hair again, combing through it with his fingers to brush out any tangles. He twitched hard when Senku's leg bumped his under the water. When it didn't immediately pull away and instead run up the side of his leg, Gen first thought it was a come-on, but then realized Senku had leaned back in the pool to dunk his head underwater. He held his breath and counted slowly to ten, trying to ignore how close Senku was, nor think about what would happen if Senku realized Gen was hard. He drew his knees in close as a line of defense, waiting for Senku to surface once more.

When Senku did surface, his hair was in wild disarray over his face. He shook it back violently, sending droplets flying. Gen held up a hand to shield himself.

Senku laughed. "My bad. I usually bathe alone."

"Really?" Gen arched an eyebrow. "Then what made you come over and join me?"

If he expected some sudden maidenly shyness from the question, he was disappointed. Senku smirked as he hooked his elbow over the edge of the spring. "This is the pool I usually use when I come up here."

"Ah." So it wasn't a come-on at all. Well, that was a bit of a blow to the ego. "I didn't mean to steal your spot, Senku-chan. I just picked it for the privacy."

"Yeah. Me too." Senku turned, looking over his hooked arm at the horizon, into the distance where the village was just hidden from sight. "It's probably a little stuck-up of me, but I still find it weird bathing with a big group like that."

Gen blinked, surprised. "Ah." But then...why had Senku felt comfortable bathing in such proximity to Gen? "That does make sense. After all, we grew up in the era of private bathrooms and indoor plumbing."

"Yeah." Senku's smile held a wistfulness Gen felt in his heart. After a minute, he lifted his hand to his chin, rubbing his knuckles along his jaw as he stared out over the trees colored in browns and reds and yellows. "Gen, can I ask something?"

"Of course you can." Gen kept his voice smooth even as his heartrate picked up again. Was this it? The moment that everything between them changed? The moment they switched from a “partnership” to a “relationship?” "You can ask me anything you like, Senku-chan."

A long, slow drag of Senku's knuckles against his jaw as if he were considering deeply before he spoke. "Gen… Do you need a razor? I could make one if you do."

"Uh--ah..." Gen had to mentally reboot. What? Just…what? Even if there were an infinite number of universes, he felt entirely certain that in exactly none of them did he expect Senku to ask that question. "I, ah..."

Senku turned to look at him, confused by his confusion. "You're not shy about asking for things you need, but you never asked for one. Taiju had to start shaving last year even though he never shaved before and even Chrome has to shave every once in a while. Don't you?"

"No, actually." Gen touched his cheek. "I suppose I've considered myself lucky to go this long without having to shave. That isn't to say I wouldn't take a razor if you're offering one."

Senku laughed. "When Taiju grew a beard, I expected to grow one too, but..."

"It didn't happen?" Gen asked gently. Senku shook his head. It wasn’t an odd question, especially from a younger male to an older male, but Gen did not want Senku equating him to a father-figure in his mind. If this was an attempted come-on, it was a terrible one. Although, Gen was now beginning to suspect that absolutely none of this had been meant as a come-on in the first place. "It's not that odd, though I'm sure you already know that. It's far more convenient to not have to shave in this stone world. And." He smirked as he shot Senku a wink. "I've heard it said that only the most incredibly intelligent people don't grow facial hair."

Senku laughed loudly at that. "Way to compliment yourself, mentalist."

"Well, if no one else is going to compliment me, then why shouldn't I compliment myself?" Gen asked, playfully superior.

They both heard the cacophony of voices rise from the direction of the community pool, as well as the scrape of stone shoes on the rocky ground: the villagers were finishing up over at the community pool.

"Ah, dammit," Senku said mildly. He snatched up a bottle of what Gen could only assume was vinegar, then began working it into his hair with vigorous efficiency. Gen was pleased to note that his awkward situation had resolved itself and pushed himself up against the rocky edge of the pool to reach for the towel he'd brought up with him. He cast a furtive look back to see if Senku was watching him, the same way he'd watched Senku, but instead all he saw was Senku dunking his head underwater to rinse out the vinegar.

Ah, well. Gen dragged his towel towards him and dabbed water delicately off his face. I'll still consider this a win. After all, Senku still could have gone and found a different pool to bathe in. He initiated the contact and the conversation, which means he feels something, even if he's not sure what that is. It was frustrating though, trying to get close to someone who seemingly had zero physical needs. Tsukasa would have been easier to woo, though Gen couldn’t regret his decision to join the kingdom of science. It might be a lot of work, but he enjoyed ramen almost once a week, cotton candy sporadically, and soon there would be a working cell phone. Even without having his physical needs met, there were still an awful lot of advantages to Senku’s growing kingdom.

Senku surfaced abruptly, sending waves lapping at the edges of the pool, spilling over in some places. Gen snatched his towel out of the way to keep it dry, but as he did so, it knocked over both his shampoo and conditioner clay bottles--and they were uncorked, too!

"Watch out!" Senku lunged across the pool, bracing one hand on the edge just over Gen's shoulder, the other reaching long to grab the bottles and set them upright. Senku's knees settled on either side of Gen's lap on the natural rocky shelf beneath the water as he capped each bottle with a cork. Gen felt blood rush to his cheeks as he found himself staring mutely at Senku's chest, inches from his face. There wasn’t a single point of contact between them, but it was impossible not to consider that just below the surface of the water, Senku was, in fact, straddling Gen’s lap. Gen’s heart might have ceased beating for a solid minute.

"Only a little spilled. You should have capped these as soon as you finished using them." Senku set the bottles down, then pushed away from Gen's side of the pool, a crooked smirk on his face. "You don't want to have to make new ones already, do you?"

Gen shook his head, mind still reeling from the briefly intimate position.

Senku chuckled. "Guess it was my fault, though. Sorry about that."

"It's fine," Gen managed, though the words nearly choked him.

Senku pushed himself out of the water, sitting on the edge of the pool before stepping out entirely, grabbing his towel as he went. Gen barely had time to look away. Hopefully the heat of the water was a good enough excuse as to why his face was burning. His underwater situation was suddenly dire--there was no way he could step out of the pool right now!

Senku rubbed his hair with the towel first, then patted himself dry with a shiver before knotting the towel around his waist. He glanced back at Gen, brow furrowed. "Aren't you finished? They'll be heading down soon."

"Yes, I just--" Have an erection that they’ll see all the way back at the village if I stand up right now!! "--need to rinse off one more time. You go on, I'll catch up."

Senku shrugged. "I don't mind waiting. It wouldn't be safe for you to head back on your own."

"Ah, yes, that's so...diligent." Fuck! Why couldn't this genius take a damn hint? Gen followed out his lie, dunking his head beneath the water once more and running his fingers through his hair fastidiously. Why wouldn't it go down? _Please_ could it just go down?

"Do you need anything?" Senku asked. "Drink of water? Not everyone knows that the minerals in natural springs combined with the heat can have a dehydrating effect on people."

"Actually, yes!" Gen seized on the idea. "I'd love a drink of...of water." His enthusiasm flagged as soon as he realized Senku had brought water up with him. Because of course he had. The man was nothing if not prepared. He still took a drink of the lukewarm water in Senku's gourd-flask. Realizing there was no good way out, Gen grabbed his towel and used it to obscure himself as much as possible as he stepped out of the pool. He lashed it around his waist before he finished stepping clear of the water, then hurriedly pulled his kimono on over his still-dripping shoulders. At least the chill in the air helped diffuse the situation quickly. And Senku had the good grace to look away.

Senku dressed as well, shrugging into his lab coat before pulling the towel around his shoulders. His hair was already beginning to dry, small pieces of it sticking straight up, as usual. Gen tried not to watch, as it would only cause a recurrence of his embarrassing situation, focusing instead on the ties of his layers of clothes, and then gathering up his bathing supplies in the little basket he'd carried them up to the springs in.

"Almost ready, mentalist?" Senku asked, seated on a boulder as he pulled his shoes on. "If we hurry, we can catch up to everyone."

Fully dressed, clean, and feeling a tiny rush at the thought that Senku had sought out Gen's company, Gen folded his arms neatly into his sleeves, the basket hooked over his wrist.

"I'm in no hurry, Senku-chan." Gen smiled and peered up through his lashes. "I don't want to get all sweaty chasing after them, not so soon after washing. Let's take our time on the way back, shall we?"

After all, any time spent with Senku could never be considered a waste of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to know when the next monthly update is ready, follow me on Twitter: @ShiroKabocha1.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gen goes searching for flowers and ends up finding something he didn’t expect. After a harrowing escape, Gen’s only hope is for Senku to realize where he is—before it’s too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been looking forward to writing this chapter since I began this fic. It’s a little dramatic, but I think you’ll forgive me…

Gen shivered and clapped his hands together to warm them, his breath hovering in a cloud of mist in front of his face. He glanced back over his shoulder, making sure he wasn't too far from the path before taking another step into the dead, twiggy bracken.

The winter sky was white and threatening snow, but Senku had said the air pressure system didn't feel right for precipitation today, which was why Gen had gone out gathering supplies rather than hunkering down near a warm fire to ride out the dreadful cold. There had been a few flurries already this season, but so far, the snow hadn't stuck around on the ground. According to the villagers, there would soon be blankets of snow and by then Gen's task would be impossible. No, if he was going to find what he was looking for, it had to be sooner rather than later.

And just what was Gen out searching for? Flowers, of course. Few flowers grew at all in winter, but he'd exhausted his supplies of dried flowers while teaching Suika sleight of hand. She still wanted to practice and since Senku still hadn't made a paper-analogue Gen could use in lieu of flowers, here he was tromping through the icy winter air in search of still-blooming flowers, all for the sake of his young apprentice.

Well, and because he thought Senku might find his work with the child endearing. Senku had made her glasses, after all, he likely cared for her as much as any teen cared for a child. And Suika was adorable in her own right. All of which accounted for why Gen had wandered farther than usual away from camp and from the village in search of appropriate flowers.

"Not that I'll find many," Gen grumbled to himself, tucking his hands inside his sleeves and ducking his head so his ears were protected by the fur mantle around his coat. "All the usual flowerbeds died in fall. I should have asked Suika to collect some flowers; I'm sure she knows where to find them."

But then again, Suika was helping coil all the gold threads into wire, whereas Gen held no significant role in the village. Sure, he helped out with projects sometimes--when he was forced to--but overall he was easier to spare than Suika was. That child always seemed happiest when performing a task that advanced the kingdom of science. And Gen understood the enthusiasm, too--there wasn't any way Suika wouldn't feel grateful for the gift of sight that Senku and science had granted her. And so even if coiling wire day after day was actually miserable, she'd do it anyway as a way to show her gratitude.

To be honest, Gen wasn't certain whether Senku had made Suika those glasses as a simple kindness or whether he'd done it with that ulterior motive in mind. In the end it mattered little, but Gen had always been fascinated by the logic behind a person's decisions. It was the reason he'd gone into psychology in the first place.

Too bad Senku was so damn hard to read.

Gen stepped over a log, dead twigs snapping beneath his boots. He looked around the ground once, then sat back on the log, checking over his shoulder once again for the trail. He probably shouldn't be so far away from the village on his own, but then again, all the bears would be hibernating by now and the lions would be...wherever the lions went to weather the winter. There was no reason to think he'd run into anything dangerous and it wasn't as if he could ask for an escort just to help him get flowers. And he wasn't going all that far away, anyway, he just wanted to check the ridge beneath the hot springs, in case the heat from the pools helped any winter flowers to grow. Unfortunately, everything just appeared dead.

"I could go back," Gen mused, leaning back on his hands to stare up at the sky. "No matter what Senku says, it still looks like snow."

And it _was_ terribly cold. Gen had to keep pulling up the ruff on his coat to protect his ears. The air felt sharp in his nose and he tasted ice with his every in-drawn breath. As long as it didn't snow, he could always resume his search another day.

"Maybe if I circled around the near side of the hot springs hills," Gen said, rubbing his arms inside his sleeves. "Or maybe I can ask Suika where she would look. There should be something, some sort of daisy or pansy or--"

A chill breeze crept up the back of Gen's coat, making him shiver violently. But as he huddled deep inside his coat, he caught movement just ahead of him: tiny white blossoms bobbing in the breeze.

With a reluctant sigh, Gen scraped himself up and hurried forward, cutting through dead-stick brambles to get to the tiny patch of...well, they looked a bit like narcissus flowers, but that was the closest approximation Gen could make. Like many modern species of flower, it was possible this was something that had evolved from the narcissus over time. Either way, these flowers would work for his sleight of hand demonstrations. The tiny patch didn't hold many blooms, but when he stood up straight, Gen spotted another patch of flowers in the distance. And another beyond that one.

This should be enough, Gen thought, bundling the flowers neatly together before storing them in his coat. And if the snow continues to hold off, I'll know where to come for more.

If there was one thing that Gen was absolutely certain of, it was that he would _not_ be making any treks through the snow on his own. Nope. That was just begging to get lost and die a long, freezing death. Gen thought he would prefer a "blaze of glory" style death, if he was in a position to choose. Of course, not dying was the best option, and with that in mind, Gen turned to head back.

But then a flash of color caught his eye.

"It couldn't be," Gen murmured, squinting. The wind was teasing the leafless branches again, filling the world with a scratchy-death chorus. Gen shrugged his ruff up higher and pushed through the bracken towards the flash of color. "These can't be...peonies?"

Normal winter peonies were usually blush-pink and while these held the shape of a normal peony, they were actually a violet that nearly matched Gen's overcoat. These wouldn't be useful for sleight of hand, but the colors were bright and distracting--they'd make a lovely confetti Gen could use as a smokescreen for one of his other illusions. Ignoring the cold, he took his tiny knife from his pocket and began cutting the blooms free, humming cheerfully to himself as he stuffed them into pockets. What a lucky find! He'd have to remember this spot. He could even turn this into a good opportunity to talk to Senku: doubtless there was some scientific reason that a pink flower might turn violet over centuries of time. He doubted he'd understand half of whatever Senku said, but any excuse to interact with Senku was reason enough.

After gathering all the fully bloomed flowers, Gen considered one of the plants itself. If he dug the whole thing up, could he replant it closer to the kingdom of science camp? Would it actually take root this late in the season, or would he simply be needlessly killing a plant and getting his hands dirty? He was thinking he might chance it when he heard a distant sound on the wind. He fell completely still, thinking: No, no...that couldn't be what I just heard.

Because it sounded like...laughter. But it was thin and far away and it could easily be the sound of a stream, or the wind through tree hollows. And even if it was laughter, it was possible that he was just hearing village hunters searching for prey...although, they were usually pretty quiet when they were hunting. But who else would be out here making noise besides the villagers?

Gruff voices exchanged words Gen couldn't make out, but his stomach sank as he realized they were coming nearer. Even worse: he felt certain he recognized a few of those voices and none of them were villagers. He got up as silently as he could and tried to creep away, heading in the opposite direction the voices were coming from.

"...telling you, something big came through here!"

"Even if it did, are we really going to carry a deer all the way back to base with us?"

"If there's anything left after we make camp tonight." Hard guffaws followed this statement.

Gen cringed. They were following the trail he'd made cutting through bushes to get to the flower beds! They thought they were tracking a lone deer or something--imagine what would happen if people from _Tsukasa's camp_ caught up to a known traitor all alone in the middle of the woods!

Why are they even this far from their camp? Gen wondered, trying to move as quickly and quietly as possible through all the dead bushes and trees. He suddenly wasn't cold anymore--instead, he was beginning to sweat. They can't have already over-hunted the areas near them, could they? And Tsukasa shouldn't want his people starting a fight with the villagers, so they shouldn't have been sent this way at all!

"I think I see something!"

Crap! Gen didn't waste another moment--he turned and ran!

"That's not an animal, you moron! That's a person! We came too far south."

"Hey, wait!" The wind carried the voices even as Gen tore his way through low hanging tree branches and knobby, raised roots. "That's not just anyone! That's Asagiri Gen!"

Curse my flashy, trademark purple overcoat! Gen thought, bursting through foliage. He heard crashing noises behind him, the people continuing to shout and call things like "Wait up, we just want to talk!" while their harsh, cruel laughter suggested otherwise. He couldn't hear most of it, though, with his heartbeat loud in his ears, drumming like it was ticking away his life.

Where do I go? Gen wondered, throwing up an arm to block the worst of the scratches from a thorny bush as he plunged through it. The trail is too far away--they'd catch me before I made it there. And even if I did, I don't know if there are any village hunters out today. I could climb a tree and try to wait them out, but if they have a climber with them--or an axe or if they set the tree on fire--that's not going to work for very long. I didn't tell anyone where I was going, so it's not as if anyone is going to come looking for me...

Oh! Gen gasped out loud as the solution came to him. He was running in a straight line away from the mountains, which meant he'd hit the shore soon. He'd come this way before, with Senku and Chrome and the others to collect seashells for calcium carbonate. The village kept a single canoe on the beach here for when they rotated the fishing grounds. If he could make it to the canoe on the beach, Gen could row himself back to the village. There was no way Tsukasa's meathead warriors could follow him into the icy water!

Having a plan gave Gen a renewed burst of adrenaline. His lungs were burning and a stitch in his side threatened to make him collapse, but stopping or slowing down simply wasn't an option. He could hear his pursuers getting closer behind him and just as the distant line of a gray ocean against a gray sky came into view, one of his pursuers hurled a spear at him. It went wide, splintering on a tree, but Gen nearly collapsed in fright. He heard a raucous round of laughter behind him and willed his legs to carry him faster. He hesitated only a minute at the steep drop-off between the forest and the beach--there was a trail somewhere, but he wasn't sure he'd find it in time--then jumped off. The slope was intense enough to make him roll once, chilly sand slipping inside his sleeves, his pockets, his boots, but he pushed himself back up to his feet and kept running until he reached the wave-beaten beach. He paused for only a minute, his heart threatening to burst, as he looked around for the village's canoe.

"Where you going, Gen?" someone called down from the drop-off.

"Yeah, you've got nowhere to run now! Think you'll make it back to that little village of yours before we catch you?"

They were taking their time in navigating down from the cliff-like drop Gen had tumbled down, feeling secure in the fact that their prey was cornered. Gen's breath burned in his chest as he looked around frantically. Where was the canoe?!

There! Half hidden and turned upside down in a patch of dune grass. It obviously hadn't been used in a while, as sand had piled up against the windward side. Gen grabbed the edge of the boat, turned it upright, then dug his feet into the sand to shove it towards the water with all his might.

It doesn't have a hole in it, does it? Gen wondered frantically, trying to check the boat even as he ran towards the water. I know it doesn't get used much in this season and there's probably about a dozen safety checks that I'm skipping, but if this is my only shot, I'm going to have to take it regardless!

He heard the cries of shock and outrage behind him and put on a final burst of speed--final because he felt as if his lungs were about to explode out of his chest. The stitch in his side was pure agony and his limbs were beginning to shake: he'd be lucky to find the strength to row himself back to the village. The front of the canoe hit the water with Gen still running alongside it, the sharp feeling of cold water in his boots like knives, yet he couldn't stop yet. If he didn't get the boat far enough out on this initial push, the waves would simply carry him back to shore no matter how hard he rowed.

The water was as high as Gen's knees by the time he gave the canoe a final shove before jumping in. He threw his momentum towards the front as much as possible, hoping it would be enough to carry the boat beyond the drag back to shore. It was a graceless scramble, one that had him landing face-down in the canoe, body contorted painfully by the benches, but at least he was out of reach by his pursuers.

For now.

Gen's hand shook as he braced it against the wooden bench. He tasted blood in his mouth and fire in his chest and he forced himself to sit up and turn around in order to see where he was. No matter how much pain he was in, if the waves were bringing him back to shore, he'd have to start rowing right away. His knees felt too watery to take his weight, so Gen held himself up by grasping both sides of the boat, levering himself back onto one of the benches. When he finally lifted his head, he saw his pursuers clearly for the first time: three of Tsukasa's minions from the kingdom of strength. One was a beefy guy Gen recognized from the same MMA circuit Tsukasa fought in back in the modern era. The other two Gen recognized from the camp, but didn't actually know who they were beyond their faces. All three stood at the edge of the shore, glaring out over the waves at him.

And, Gen noted with delight, he must have caught the tide going out as the current was carrying him farther away from the beach rather than towards it. He let out a shaky sigh of relief, then painted an arrogant smirk on his face. He stood, balancing carefully as the boat wobbled, then folded his arms in his sleeves.

"You had best run back to Tsukasa-chan while you can!" Gen called over the water. "You may have caught me on my own, but I'm not out here alone. And as Hyouga-chan should have told you, we have steel swords to defend ourselves with here!"

The warriors exchanged sullen glances, then looked around the beach as if searching for a second boat. Before long, they turned and trudged away, casting wary glances up at the forest. Gen remained standing until they passed out of sight. Then he dropped heavily onto the plank-like bench within the canoe, breathing heavily. His exhaustion hit him in full, making him shake and shiver all over.

Or maybe that was simply the cold.

"Wet boots have to come off," Gen muttered to himself, hands still shaking as he peeled the boots off his feet. And since his socks were soaked through, he pulled those off, too, draping them over the far bench. The air on his bare wet skin was brutally cold, but he'd heard somewhere that staying in wet clothing was worse than baring skin. With that in mind, he grudgingly stripped out of his pants, too, as they were soaked up past the knee. The hem of his coat was wet, too, but the top was dry. In a compromise, he slipped it off his shoulders and draped it over his lap like a blanket, digging his bare feet into the warm fur in the sleeves. He shivered once from a breeze off the water, then determinedly shook it off. Once he got rowing, he'd be much warmer, anyway. And even though he was tired from the run, if he let too much time pass, the sweat he'd worked up would begin to dry on his skin and that wouldn't be healthy for him, either.

But as Gen looked around the bottom of the canoe, he realized he'd made one serious miscalculation: The villagers left the boat on the shore.

But they hadn't left any oars inside of it.

Gen hunkered down miserably, folding his arms inside his kimono, hoping someone would miss him before too long.

~*~^~*~

"So wait, why are we using metal tops for the glass jars?" Chrome asked, spinning the top onto a jar of preserved fish. "And why does the exact fit matter so much?"

"We need to keep as much air out of the jars as possible," Senku explained, using a lever to press the lid down onto a bottle, holding it tight as he waited for it to seal. "Exposure to air is what makes food go bad, which is why we're using a pickling solution and a heat-seal to store as much food for winter as possible. And another thing that's important to note is the button on the top of the lid." Senku picked up an unused lid and pressed his thumb to the center, making the metal bend and pop loudly. "Jars of stored food should have a dimpled lid. If the seal breaks, the button will pop out and that's how you know the food has been compromised."

"Wow, that's pretty _bad!_ " Chrome said with a low whistle. "I used to have to smell food to know if it had gone bad."

Senku chuckled. "That's not a bad method at all."

"Ah, excuse the interruption!" Suika leaned around the entrance of the lab peering inside. "Suika was just wondering if Gen was here?"

"No, he's not," Senku replied, removing his jar from the press and handing it to Chrome to store. "I haven't seen him since breakfast this morning."

"He wasn't at the gold-rolling circle this morning," Suika said, rocking on her toes. "And he wasn't at lunch, either. Not here or in the village."

"Sometimes he disappears for a while," Senku replied with a shrug, though he acknowledged that it was strange for Gen to skip mealtimes. "Maybe he took some food with him wherever he went."

"Hmm..." Suika hummed nervously. "Okay. Senku's really smart, so if you say Gen is fine, then Suika thinks Gen is fine, too."

"Of course he's fine," Chrome put in. "He probably just went up to the hot springs or something. It isn't like there are any predators around this time of year."

Suika hesitated in the doorway, hands twisting in the hem of her poncho. Senku focused on her a moment and tried to guess what had her looking so nervous.

"Did you see Gen leave earlier?" Senku asked. "Did he look like he was going somewhere dangerous?"

"No?" Suika continued rocking on her shoes. "Gen said he would give Suika another lesson in magic today, but he had to get something first. Suika doesn't know what he had to get, though."

Senku drummed his fingers on the countertop, thinking what Gen might need for a magic lesson. He'd had Kaseki create small metal coins for some of his tricks and Senku knew he'd been asking about playing cards, but there just wasn't enough reason to make paper yet. What else did Gen use for his tricks?

"Flowers?" Senku guessed out loud. "Do you think Gen went looking for flowers?"

"In winter?" Chrome frowned. "Even if there are any, it seems pretty stupid to go looking for flowers when it's this cold out."

Senku stared out the laboratory door for a moment, noting the gray sky, remembering how, earlier, Gen had asked about the possibility of snow. Senku had said it was unlikely, but the day had only grown darker and colder as it went on. It likely still wouldn't snow today, but overnight they might get quite a lot. And snow had a way of changing even the most familiar terrain into something foreign, frightening and deadly. Of course, it was just as likely that Gen would come waltzing back into the camp at any moment, but...

"Where would Gen go if he was looking for winter flowers?" Senku asked Suika, the resident forest expert. "Did he ask you for directions?"

"Gen didn't ask Suika." The melon helmet shook from side to side. "If Suika wanted flowers, Suika would go to where the foxtails grow. Sometimes in winter, there's pretty white flowers there, but not always."

Senku thought for a minute, then shook his head. "The foxtails all died months ago due to cold, Gen wouldn't think to check there for flowers. He'd follow a trail and hope to find something just off of it and then barring that...he'd try to find someplace that isn't too cold." A map of the local terrain appeared inside Senku's head as he tried to guess where the mentalist would have gone looking for flowers. In his mind's eye, he followed the trail from the village to the hot springs, wondering where the likeliest place to find flowers would be. "East of the mountains. Any warm air would be trapped near the ground and the hot springs heat would pool there. If he was making a wild guess as to where flowers would be, that's where he would look."

"Suika has found flowers in winter there!" Suika confirmed. "But it's farther away than the foxtails, so Suika doesn't go there often."

Senku closed his eyes, thinking. It wasn't unusual for Gen to jaunt about on his own. While the mentalist wasn't a fighter and didn't carry a weapon, he wasn't completely helpless. But as Senku had proven to himself time and time again, the best laid plans often went awry. Even though there was a high probability that Gen would return to camp as cheerful and annoying as ever, there was also a chance that he'd become lost, or he could have fallen and hurt himself. Either way, it wouldn't hurt to go look for him.

"Let's call it for today," Senku advised, untying the apron he wore to protect his clothes in the lab.

"Do you really think something happened to him?" Chrome asked, following Senku out of the lab. "Doesn't he always disappear like this?"

"Yes, but he's usually back by lunch, if not a little later." Senku spotted Kohaku running combat drills with Kinro and Ginro and led the way over to her. "We'll stop by the village first and see if anyone has seen him. If he's there, then there's nothing to worry about. Hey, Kohaku!"

Kohaku completed a spin-kick that swept both Kinro and Ginro off their feet. She jumped up, smiling as she thumped the base of her spear on the ground. "You need something, Senku? Did you want a lesson in self-defense?"

"No, and if I did, I wouldn't take it from you," Senku laughed.

Chrome shook his head. "A self-defense lesson from Kohaku actually puts your life in danger."

Without ever losing her smile, Kohaku pounded Chrome with the butt of her spear, leaving a lump on his head. "Want did you want, Senku?"

"Do you think you and your warriors want a bit of a break?" Senku asked. "I feel like going on a walk."

"Yes," Ginro moaned, clutching his spear like it was the only thing keeping him upright. "I'll do anything to take a break."

Kinro only nodded, though something in his face showed a hint of gratitude for the halt in training.

"I guess we can chaperone a short walk," Kohaku agreed. "Where are we going?"

"The village first." He'd never hear the end of it if he just headed off into the woods while Gen was safe across the bridge at the village. "After that...Suika, can you show us where the flowers off the trail to the hot springs are?"

"Leave it to Suika!"

~*~^~*~

Gen was shaking so hard the boat was vibrating beneath him, sending out ripples in the near-placid water beneath him. He was trying to conserve his body heat by moving as little as possible, but the bench was so uncomfortable he could barely help it at times. He'd checked his pants and socks to see if they were dry, only to find that they were not only not dry, they were actually frozen. As was the hem of his coat. Even the dry portions of his coat felt cold and almost damp, but that didn't make sense. Even though he'd been sweating earlier, he couldn't have sweat through all his layers to make his coat damp. He tugged it tighter around his hips and legs, feet rubbing against each other to create warmth through friction. With a breath to brace himself, he pulled his hands out of his sleeves to tug his kimono up higher along the back of his neck. He touched his ear and cringed at how cold it felt. Regretting almost every life decision he'd made up to this point, Gen curled into himself and cupped his hands over his ears to keep them warm.

Someone please come, he begged silently. I'll never set out on my own again, just...please. Someone come find me...

~*~^~*~

"It's this way!" Suika hopped off the trail, pointing ahead into the brush. "Suika can find flowers just over here."

She trotted ahead, but never out of sight of the others as they followed at a slower pace. Senku couldn't help but lag behind, shivering every now and then. Had Gen really come out this far looking for something as foolish as flowers? Gen was often lazy by nature, preferring to let others perform tasks for him. If he, in fact, had gone looking for flowers, wouldn't he at least have taken Suika with him?

Well, maybe he wouldn't have, Senku reasoned. Suika was the star wire-coiler and whenever Gen was away, she took over singing songs and keeping up the morale of the other children. And if the flowers were for a magic trick he was teaching Suika, Gen likely wouldn't have taken her along; he always liked to make things like flowers just appear by magic, rather than give away the secret that he'd actually hiked several miles through rugged terrain to find the stupid things just to use them in a trick.

He should put some effort into making artificial flowers, Senku thought as a chill made him hug himself. Artificial flowers won't die or wear out after too many uses and he wouldn't have to go searching for them in the dead of winter.

Senku paused, eyeing a section of snapped-off branches on a scrubby bush.

"What is it, Senku?" Chrome asked, stopping with him.

"Are we following a trail?" Senku asked, reaching into the branches.

Chrome looked around them, ahead to where Suika led the way and back the way they had come. "Yeah, looks like."

"But not an animal trail, right?"

"No," Kohaku confirmed, doubling back to the two scientists. "This isn't a deer trail or a hunter's trail. The height of the broken branches suggest a person came this way, so you're probably right about Gen being out here."

"But Gen doesn't wear brown clothing." Senku tugged a scrap of cloth free from the branches of the bush. He rubbed it between his fingers, frowning down at it. It was obviously deer hide, but just as obvious, it had been processed into a piece of clothing, similar to Senku's own lab coat. One side was cut in a straight line--that didn't happen in nature. That was a deliberate cut with a human tool.

"Maybe it's from one of the village hunters?" Chrome suggested. "It could have been there a while."

"But all your clothing is dyed blue," Senku rationalized, still considering the scrap of cloth. "So your hunters know not to shoot each other when they're all out hunting together."

Chrome frowned at the cloth, too. "So then...you think someone else was out here?"

Kohaku crouched, touching the ground with a swipe of her fingers. Up ahead, Ginro and Kinro had stopped. Suika stood atop a log, hopping from foot to foot to keep herself warm. Senku kept his thoughts to himself; it wouldn't do to panic over nothing.

"Footprints," Kohaku finally said, tracing a shape in the ground that only she could see with her superior eyesight. "Bigger than Gen's feet. Heavier, too. And it looks like there might not have been just one."

Senku crumpled the torn bit of cloth in his hand. "Tsukasa's warriors."

"But why?" Ginro's teeth chattered as he looked around nervously, clutching his spear like a favored blanket. "Why would they be this far away from their camp?"

Senku turned that question over, then looked to Kohaku for confirmation. "You said there were more deer than usual this fall, didn't you? More herds all moving south?"

"Mm." Kohaku nodded once. "It was lucky you were able to come up with a way to store all that extra meat, Senku. I doubt we could have eaten it all before it went bad."

"What do the deer have to do with Tsukasa's hunters?" Chrome asked, confused.

"The deer herds up north were probably fleeing Tsukasa's hunters." Senku closed his eyes, holding his hand up by his face in order to focus his attention. "The hunters are ranging further to try and find food, since they probably weren't able to preserve any meat, like we were."

The voices around him continued, but Senku sank into his thoughts, extrapolations, calculations and logical conjectures. Gen was usually very wary; if there were hunters out here that weren't from the village, he likely would have heard them coming before they realized he was even there. Though his brightly colored coat likely hadn't helped him much. Senku exhaled a breath slowly, envisioning the area in his mind, seeing it as if zooming in on a video game map. If Gen were spotted by Tsukasa's warriors, they more than likely would have given chase. Gen couldn't hope to outrun them, so how would he outsmart them? Anything too physical, like climbing or running was out. And even though Gen did sometimes carry a tiny knife, he wasn't one for using weapons. He might try some misdirection in order to hide, but if these hunters knew him and his tricks, it was likely they would continue searching until they found him. Which only left finding an escape route that couldn't be followed.

"Chrome," Senku said without opening his eyes. "Don't the fishermen sometimes leave canoes on the shore around here?"

"You mean down at the beach? Yeah, I think there's one they can grab if the catch is really good and they need help hauling it back to the village," Chrome explained.

"I thought they brought it back to fix up over the winter," Ginro put in, looking back at the scientists. "Didn't it need repairs?"

Kinro shook his head. "The canoe is fine. It just needs new oars. It's not a priority until spring."

At this time of day, the tide is going out, Senku thought, blocking out the continued conversation around him. With the moon at a waxing gibbous, the current will be stronger than usual. The wind is blowing south, but it will be stronger over the water. With the temperature dropping as it is...

Oh, this wasn't good.

"Kohaku!" Senku shouted, already turning back towards the trail. "Head to the beach and see if you can spot Gen off the shore. Head along the beach back towards the village. If he's adrift, that's the direction the current will take him. Do _not_ try to swim to him if you see him!"

"Right!" Kohaku raced off without argument.

"Swim, yeah right," Ginro scoffed. "That water has to be at least--Whoa!"

Ginro cut off as Kinro grabbed the back of his shirt, dragging him along as they ran for the trail to the village.

"You think he took the boat?" Chrome asked, easily keeping pace alongside Senku as he retraced his steps.

"I think it's the only logical explanation," Senku said, already panting. Although, there was a secondary explanation: Gen could have been caught and dragged back to Tsukasa's camp, in which case, none of this would matter. But if Gen was forewarned of the hunters' arrival, he definitely would have run for the water and taken the canoe. Which meant the real battle here wasn't against Tsukasa's fighters--it was against nature herself.

Hold on, mentalist, Senku thought, pressing his hand to a stitch in his side. Use whatever tricks you've got to keep from freezing. I'm on my way.

~*~^~*~

I'm so warm, Gen thought to himself. I'm sitting by the fire inside a mountain lodge, a warm cup of cocoa cupped in my hands. A space heater is on full-blast near my feet and I'm wearing the warmest clothing known to modern humankind.

He focused on smelling the cocoa that steamed in a mug between his hands, on the pop and crackle of the logs, of the cheerful laughter of the snow bunnies that populated the lodge, telling stories from the slopes as they ate and drank and made merry. Sure, it was cold outside, but this was a premier resort lodge stocked not only with fireplaces and warm food, but with hot tubs and saunas and warm bodies and...

A window caught Gen's eye and he couldn't help but see the storm raging outside. He tried to tear his eyes away, but a shiver wracked through him. His eyes squeezed shut and when he opened them again, he was sitting in that tiny, lonely canoe. Gen cursed as his body shivered uncontrollably.

I heard it's supposed to feel warm right before you freeze to death, Gen thought bitterly. I can't wait for that to happen.

Parts of him were already going numb to the point they almost felt warm. His ears, for example. It was too cold to keep covering them with his hands, so he merely hunkered down low, turning one side of his head into the ruff of his coat at a time, hoping to ward off the worst of the frostbite. His feet were still cold to the point of pain, though, and as his eyes watered continuously, the wind freezing his tears to his face, leaving behind the unique sensation of burning with cold.

And sadly, this isn't even the most miserable experience of my life, Gen thought morosely. The first most-miserable moment had to be the near-death beating he'd gotten at Magma's hands, though at this point, he was thinking fondly about how warm he'd been back then by comparison. Even his other "worst" experiences at least had a backdrop of warmth--but recalling his worst memories weren't going to get him through this. If anything, they would only make him give up that much sooner.

What he needed was hope. Hopeful thoughts would bolster his mental state, release endorphins and make his heart beat faster, thus circulating his warm blood a touch faster, which might help keep him from freezing a little longer. But he'd been adrift for hours now and hope was becoming a commodity he could no longer afford.

Blearily, Gen blinked vision back into his eyes and looked around. He could still see the shore, but didn't recognize it. He wasn't even completely certain if the current had carried him towards the village or was taking him away from it.

If the current carried me closer, I might try swimming, Gen told himself, laying his head back down to protect the ear he could no longer feel. Maybe when the tide starts going in again, I'll try hand-paddling to shore.

He had dipped a hand into the water earlier, considering the idea sooner, but the water was cold enough to feel like knives under his skin. And he couldn't reach both sides of the canoe at the same time, which meant he couldn't really steer even if the water wasn't painful to the touch. If he were stronger, he'd attempt to break the wooden plank the served as a bench and use that to paddle, but he wasn't and he feared what breaking a plank might do to the hull's integrity.

Really, the only hope he had was that the current might take him within sight of the village's main island. Then he could shout for help and surely someone would come and tow him in. But it was a small hope, mostly because he didn't know where the current was taking him and also because he'd tried speaking aloud a little while ago and realized his throat hurt too much to even squeak, never mind shout. Shivers weren't even lasting as long as they used to, as if his body was simply too tired to even shiver. With conscious effort, Gen moved his feet, drumming his heels lightly against the bottom of the boat, hoping to stir the blood a little.

Focus, he told himself, eyes drifting shut. Imagine sitting under a kotatsu. A warm, warm kotatsu...

~*~^~*~

Senku arrived at the village's canoe launch point panting and shaking, sweat running down his back despite the frigid temperatures of the day. Chrome and Kinro had beaten him to the village by a wide margin and explained the situation: a pair of canoes were already preparing to launch, one laden with blankets as well as extra oars. Senku grabbed Chrome's shoulder, still fighting to catch his breath.

"We got it, Senku," Chrome assured him. "I know science can pinpoint his location, but our people know these waters. We can find him without your help, so you can rest up."

Senku shook his head, one hand clutching his chest over his heart. "Finding him is only part of it," Senku wheezed. "Has to be me. Chrome--go back to our camp and heat large rocks in the fire. Have a bunch ready for...for when we get back."

Chrome looked like he wanted to argue, but Senku was grateful that he only nodded and stepped back. Senku's entire body shook with exertion as he stepped over the edge of the canoe. He very nearly slipped and stepped in the water but for Kinro grabbing his arm and steadying him.

"Come on, Ginro," Kinro called, taking up an oar in the front of the canoe.

"Aw, but we just ran all the way here," Ginro whined. "Can't someone else row?"

"We don't have time to argue!" Senku knew his tone was sharp, but also didn't know how to temper it: a life was on the line, didn't they understand that? "If you're tired, then I'll help, but we need to move now!"

"Fine," Ginro muttered, trudging reluctantly to the back of the canoe. Another villager helped him launch it so Ginro jumped in before he took more than a step in the frigid water. He still moaned about it, using the corner of a blanket to dry off before picking up an oar. A second canoe launched bearing the strongest rowers and fishermen in the village in order to help row Gen's canoe back to the village once they found it.

"North?" Kinro asked, steering the canoe from the front.

"North and east," Senku said as he wrapped one of the blankets around his shoulders, holding it closed at his chest. The sweat was already drying on his skin and the wind off the water was frigid. "The current will have dragged him out pretty far. Keep an eye on the shore for Kohaku. With her eyesight, she'll spot him before we do."

Senku huddled down inside his blanket, preserving as much of his own body heat as he could. He'd only been on the water for a minute, maybe two, and he was already wishing he'd stayed ashore. How was Gen holding up on his own?

Hang on, Gen. We're on our way.

~*~^~*~

Huh, Gen thought, surprised he was still conscious enough to think. I guess you really do begin to feel warm right before you freeze to death.

Although, he could be confusing "not cold anymore" with "warm." It seemed such a small distinction to make at that moment. His body felt heavy, his limbs stiff with congealed blood and frozen tendons.

Can't move, he thought, though it wasn't as scary as he thought it'd be. I should...at least...try to open my...eyes.

But his lashes were stuck. After a brief struggle to open them, he gave up. Drew in a breath that hurt. Held it before letting it out.

I wonder if they'll think Tsukasa's hunters caught me, Gen wondered. No. No, I bet Senku will figure it out. I just wish he...could have figured it out...a little sooner...

Something echoed over the water, something distant and short. A bird call? No, the seagulls had all flown south for the winter. A fish? Did fish make noise? Gen couldn't be certain of anything anymore.

Another short call, this time with a hint of urgency to it.

Oh, maybe it was a mermaid! How nice to see a mermaid at the very end. Gen almost smiled at the thought, then found himself wondering if mermaids wore winter jackets and how disappointing _that_ would be.

"Gen!"

The mermaid knew his name! That was fascinating. Was that how they lured sailors into the sea? Gen wasn't about to jump into the water, but if the mermaid tipped his boat, he wouldn't exactly fight.

"Gen, open your eyes!"

The voice and the sounds of rhythmic splashing were coming closer. For one instant, Gen was afraid he'd drawn his final breath, but then realized he'd simply forgotten to exhale. He had to push all thoughts of voices and splashes out of his head just to focus on breathing. In, out. In, out. It hurt, but screw it--that mermaid sounded a lot like Senku and Gen wanted to stay alive long enough to meet it.

"Gen!" The canoe rocked violently, tossing Gen sideways, and as ready as he thought he'd been for death, he still panicked and fought to grab onto something. For as long as he could still choose, he would vastly prefer to be dry when he froze to death, rather than wet. "Gen, open your eyes! Move, get up, do something!"

It was a fight to rub the heel of his hand against his eye, breaking the seal of dried salt crystals that held his eyelashes shut. Opening his eye hurt worse: the gray light of the sky seared his retina like an icepick. Still, he scrubbed at his other eye until he could open it, blinking until his vision slowly cleared.

"S-Sen...ku?"

Gen's throat felt raw and when he swallowed, he tasted blood and ice. His every movement was edged in pain. He'd slid off the bench when the waves from two other canoes rocked his own. It seemed beyond belief now to see Senku reaching out over the stretch of water to grab the side of Gen's canoe. Was this real? Or a pre-death mirage?

"Gen!" With one hand on the side of the canoe, Senku pulled the boats together, the other hand reaching for Gen's shoulder. As he caught the edge of Gen's kimono, both boats rocked perilously. Senku cursed as he fell back inside his own canoe. "Someone help me hold the boats steady! Gen, take off your clothes."

Uh...what? About a dozen witty responses came to Gen's mind, though none he could speak out loud. If Senku had said that at literally any other time, Gen would leap at the opportunity, but now wasn't exactly the appropriate time.

"C'mon, Gen, start moving!" Senku urged as Kinro and Ginro shifted their weight to hold the boats together steadily. Senku climbed carefully from his boat into Gen's, a blanket tied around his shoulders. "Your clothes are wet from the sea spray, they're making you colder. Hurry up and get them off."

Oh, of course there had to be a completely logical and scientific reason to take his clothes off, Gen thought. If this wasn't about to get fun, he might just fall back asleep again...

"Keep your eyes open, Gen." Senku crouched down in front of him, already pulling away the overcoat draped across his lap. He tossed the other articles of wet clothing--well, frozen now--into the other boat before working on taking off Gen's kimono. When Senku's hands found Gen's, curled tightly in the folds of his clothing, Gen gasped in pain. Senku's hands felt like hot coals against his skin, and though Senku was probably being as gentle as he knew how, the way he was forcing Gen's hands to open made it feel as if his bones were about to break.

"S-stop," Gen begged, the wind freeing fresh tears on his cheeks.

"The pain's a good sign," Senku said, tapping the backs of Gen's hands before sliding his thumbs across the palms, easing them open to free the folds of the kimono from them. "It means you haven't lost nerve sensation yet."

"Hurts."

"I know. Try moving. Even if it’s just a little."

Just uncurling his hands from fists felt like shards of glass within his skin. It distracted Gen as Senku pulled him forward, tossing the kimono off over his shoulders and casting it into the other canoe. His shirt took a bit more effort, but before peeling it all the way off, Senku stopped and opened his own coat, pushing it aside to reveal the high-necked shirt beneath. He pulled the blanket from around his own shoulders and wrapped it around Gen before tossing Gen’s shirt off. Senku pulled Gen into his lap, pressing him into the warmth that had been trapped beneath his coat, then wrapped a second blanket around the both of them. Senku's body radiated heat like a furnace and Gen couldn't help but lean into it. He felt Senku shiver as he turned his face into Senku's neck, but couldn't tell if it was from cold or distaste--it wasn't as if Senku was ever exactly keen on being touched, though it was easy to see this as an extreme case.

Kinro and Ginro pushed away from the boat and villagers with oars climbed over from the second canoe, each taking up positions in the bow and stern. The canoe began moving with purpose, the gentle rhythm of the oars lulling Gen back to sleep.

"Stay awake, mentalist," Senku instructed, his hand ranging beneath the blankets. "Keep moving your hands. Here, can you feel this?"

Senku's hands were on Gen's left foot and ankle, squeezing gently. "Yeah."

"Good." Senku switched to the right foot. "This one?"

"Mmhmm."

"That's good. We'll have to check your toes for frostbite when you get back to camp, but at least for now it doesn't look like you'll lose your feet."

Gen coughed when he tried to speak, his entire body wracking with movement that shook the boat.

"Relax." Senku tucked the blanket in tighter, pulling Gen's back flush against his chest. "You need to warm up slowly. If the cold blood in your extremities reaches your heart all at once, you could die of shock."

That sounded less pleasant than freezing to death. But at least if he did die, he would do it nearly naked with Senku's arms wrapped around him. Or, at least Senku's hands on him. Senku pulled one of Gen's hands out of the blankets to examine it, touching each fingertip once before repeating the process of the other hand.

"No blackening. Your fingers look okay. Can you tell me what happened? Without talking too much."

Gen swallowed only to find his mouth and throat completely parched. "Water?"

Senku thought for a minute, his hands warm on Gen's forearms. Then they vanished, groping for something beneath the blankets. Senku's arms circled around Gen again as they uncorked a flask of water. "Don't swallow; the water's too warm and it'll make you sick if it doesn't kill you. Swish it around, then spit."

All these lewd jokes and I can't even make them, Gen thought as Senku held the flask up for him to sip. He couldn't help but let a tiny trickle of water slide down his throat, but followed Senku's instructions otherwise. Senku helped him lean over the side of the boat to spit out the water.

"Got chased," Gen said as Senku adjusted the blankets around them. "Tsukasa's hunters."

"That what I thought," Senku admitted. He pressed one hand briefly against Gen's forehead, as if feeling for a fever. Gen wished he had a fever--despite being wrapped up and pressed close against Senku's body, he still felt unbearably cold. As if he'd never feel warm again.

It was wildly disorienting when Senku lifted Gen's chin, tipping his head back so they were suddenly eye to eye. When Gen found himself suddenly close enough to kiss Senku, his heart beating against his breastbone like a fist knocking on a door. If anything was going to get his cold blood flowing too quickly, surely it would be a kiss from Senku.

The moment held a beat too long and slowly Gen realized that Senku was checking his face for signs of frostbite. Senku's callused palm scraped against Gen's cheeks, swiping away salt and crusted tears. He laid a finger against Gen's nose and made a face. Senku's expression only grew darker as he turned Gen's head from side to side, apparently looking at his ears. After exhaling an unsatisfied breath, Senku pulled Gen in by the back of his head, tucking Gen's face against his chest before he cupped his hands over Gen's ears. Even though he could see that's what Senku was doing, he barely felt the touch at all. He closed his eyes and buried his face against Senku's chest, mentally preparing himself for some bad news.

He felt Senku's voice rumbling through his chest before he heard him speak: "Did you use any mentalist tricks to keep yourself warm?"

"I tried," Gen admitted, fingers digging into the furred edges of Senku’s coat. "Didn't really help that much."

"It helped enough." Gen could barely hear Senku through the hands over his ears, but he could feel Senku's heartbeat through his chest, could smell the scents of acid and ink and dried sweat clinging to his skin, could feel the heat trapped between them by the blankets. He wondered if Senku would ever believe he hadn't orchestrated this whole ordeal just to reach this end because honestly, the result was everything he could have asked for. But even as he thought it, he realized: No. He wouldn't have chosen to put himself through this all to win someone's affections. There was a difference between stacking the deck in one's favor versus out-and-out emotional manipulation. Gen wasn't entirely above out-and-out manipulation in some cases, but as the basis of a relationship, it wasn't a good place to start. "Stay awake, Gen."

"Tired," Gen mumbled.

"Move your feet and your hands. Slowly, not too much."

Feeling was returning to his limbs and Gen didn't like it. He'd hoped to begin feeling warm, but all he was feeling was pain. He shuddered and turned into Senku, hands seeking the heat beneath Senku's clothing.

"Ah!" Senku flinched as Gen found a gap between Senku’s shirt and pants. "Don't do that."

"Too cold?"

"You'll warm up too fast." Senku leaned back, arching away from Gen's hands without letting go of him. "Just keep flexing your hands. They'll warm up on their own."

"I just want to be as warm as Senku-chan," Gen murmured, pressing his forehead into Senku's neck.

Senku shivered. With his face pressed against Senku's chest, Gen couldn't read his expression. "You're going to be fine, Gen. We're getting you home now."

Home. That word hadn't really meant anything at all since Gen woke up from his petrification. Home used to be a small, upscale apartment, a place he barely ever spent any time in, except for the odd Sunday afternoon when he was catching up on reading and TV dramas. He hadn't felt at home in Tsukasa's camp, but if anything, he felt even more like an outsider at the village. At least in Tsukasa's camp, everyone could relate to the shock of waking up thousands of years later to find human civilization all but vanished. At the village, Senku was the only person who could relate to that, yet he spent so much time creating, building and planning that it barely seemed like he missed the old world at all. If anything, he seemed exhilarated to be able to test his abilities to the fullest in this stone world.

It would be nice to have a place Gen could call home...

"You have a home, mentalist." Gen startled, surprised he'd spoken out loud. "We're taking you there now."

That sounded almost...nice. It was weird to hear Senku say something almost sentimental. Gen tucked his nose into the hollow of Senku's throat, making the scientist shiver again, despite the shirt between them. He moved his hands and feet, using the pain to remain awake. As much as he wanted to fall asleep, he also wanted to remember the sensation of being held against Senku's chest, cradled almost like a lover.

~*~^~*~

Gen was dehydrated and listless by the time the canoes rounded the village's islands. Rather than make berth near the path up to the village, Senku asked the rowers to take them just a little farther, to the trail that went straight up to the camp that had been declared Senku's kingdom of science. Kohaku, with her incredible speed, had beaten them back to the village and had Magma waiting at the foot of trail, looking surly as ever to have been pressed into service once again to help the person who had beaten him out as village chief. As the canoe was angled to meet the shore, Senku gently shook Gen awake, offering him some water to drink now that he'd warmed up a little. Gen seemed bleary and unfocused, responding only to stern commands as Senku tried to get him to sit up so he could wrap the blankets tight around his thin frame. Someone with a bit more substance to them would have weathered Gen's ordeal far better than Gen had. Even so, it looked like Gen had been able to do enough with his limited resources to avoid losing any important bits.

Magma stomped a foot down inside the canoe as soon as it was beached, ignoring Senku's glare of warning. He received a glare of disdain in return and, with the barest minimum of care, Magma scooped Gen up out of the canoe and carried him up the trail. Senku suspected that if Kohaku hadn't been there to threaten him, Magma might have tossed Gen over his shoulder like a sack of oats, rather than carry him against his chest like the invalid he was at the moment. Senku followed behind, tossing a quick thanks to his rowers for getting him ashore.

"Is he going to be alright?" Kohaku asked, keeping step with Senku along the trail.

"Yeah." Senku had to squint to see the ground ahead of him: dark had fallen early with the sky as overcast as it had been all day. "He's tough, our mentalist."

"I tried calling to him from the shore," Kohaku said. "But I don't think he heard me."

"He was pretty far-gone by the time we reached him," Senku explained, taking care with his footing on the steep trail. "But I think we got to him in time."

The central fire at the camp was low and banked, but for all that, Senku could still feel its warmth the moment he stepped into the reddish-orange glow. Chrome and Suika were near the firepit, jumping to their feet the moment Magma stepped into the clearing.

"You want him by the fire?" Magma asked gruffly, already stomping towards the fire.

"No!" Senku ran ahead of him to block his path. "He still needs time for his blood to circulate properly. Take him up to the hut and we'll take care of the rest."

Magma made a face that said the last thing he wanted to do was climb the ladder to Chrome's hut while carrying the barely conscious mentalist, but with Kohaku glaring at him, Magma didn't protest. He wasn't gentle, though, tossing Gen over his shoulder so he could manage the ladder.

"I set a pallet out," Chrome said, eyeing Magma doubtfully. "And I've been heating rocks, just like you said."

"Good." Senku breathed a sigh of relief. At least he could count on Chrome. "We need to wrap the warmed stones in cloth and pack them around his body to warm the blood returning to his heart. He'll start to sweat, though, and he's probably dehydrated, so we'll have to keep feeding him water."

"Suika can help," Suika offered, looking miserable. She held a parcel of something to her chest as she rocked on her shoes. "This was Suika's fault, wasn't it? Gen was looking for flowers for Suika's lesson."

Even with the melon helmet covering half her face, Senku could tell Suika was about to cry. Comforting children wasn't really one of his best skills, but Senku gave it a shot. He knelt down, placing a hand atop Suika's melon.

"If this is anyone's fault, it's Gen's for not taking someone with him," Senku said patiently. "But even then, there was no way to predict that Tsukasa's hunters would have come this far south. This isn't anyone's fault."

"You promise?" Suika asked, lower lip trembling.

"I promise." Senku turned away at the sound of Magma descending the ladder from Chrome's hut, sans Gen. "I have to go make sure Gen stays warm."

"Okay. Suika will help with the hot rocks." Suika held up the parcel she'd been clutching. "Gen's clothes from the other canoes. Suika brought them when the canoes landed."

"Thank you." Senku grabbed the clothing and tucked it under an arm. As he stood, he felt a tiny bit of vertigo weigh on him, but he ignored it, focusing on the blurry shape that was Chrome. "Give me a minute to make sure he's comfortable, then come up with as many rocks as you can safely carry."

"Gotcha." Chrome nodded. As he turned away to the fire, Senku scaled the ladder and clambered into the hut. Gen lay on a pallet in the center of the small room, looking tiny even for all the blankets wrapped around him. His eyes were barely open, reflecting light from the fire outside.

"You awake?" Senku asked, touching the pulse at Gen's throat as he tossed the folded clothing aside. "Can you drink some water, Gen? We're going to warm you up, but you're dehydrated so you'll probably feel sick before you feel better."

"Joy," Gen rasped, a touch of sarcasm in his voice. Senku lifted his head and held a flask to his lips. Gen began to cough before long, so Senku took the water away and lowered his head to the pallet. Once Gen could breathe again, Senku began stripping back the blankets. Gen clutched at them weakly.

"Cold!"

"Yeah, but these blankets all got damp over the water." His hands were cold enough that he barely registered the damp, but it wouldn't be healthy to leave them on Gen's body. "Here. Wrap up in one of Chrome's blankets."

Gen grumbled about the blanket not being warm, but it wasn't as if he could actually protest. He wasn't particularly strong to begin with, but his grip was frighteningly weak now. Senku got him rolled up in a dry blanket, then helped him lie down again. Senku urged Gen to drink a little more water, then started to get up. Chrome should be coming with those heated rocks soon.

"Sen--ku." Every syllable sounded painful. Senku was reminded of the day Gen had been found bloodied and beaten by Magma, the day they would have lost him were it not for the mentalist's paranoid preparations. "Tell me. Is it...bad?"

Senku understood the question without further context: Gen was asking about the frostbite damage. "I think most of it is reversible. You weren't out there too long and you took off the clothing that got wet early on. But the wind was really bitter, so it's hard to say for certain right now."

Gen's face twisted distastefully. His eyes fluttered closed, thick lashes resting on pale, hollow cheeks.

"We're doing every to ensure a full recovery," Senku assured him. "You'll be warm in just a little bit. You should stay awake, though, and keep drinking water."

"I'm so...tired."

"I know." Senku heard Chrome coming up the ladder. He went to the doorway and helped Chrome with the handful of cloth-wrapped stones he was carrying. "Try and stay with me, Gen. What feels the coldest right now?"

While Gen rasped about pain in his feet and his ears, Senku showed Chrome how to pack the heated stones against Gen's body. There were layers of cloth around the stones and around Gen, so nothing should burn him, but Senku was still careful--it did no good to avoid frostbite only to end up with second-degree burns instead. Suika carried up a few stones as well, then Senku went down for a few more. There weren't really all that many, but just having the hot rocks stationed in the center of the small hut was making Senku sweat. He swiped his sleeve over his forehead before offering Gen another drink of water from his flask.

"Is there anything else we can do?" Chrome asked after draping another blanket over Gen and all the hot stones in order to keep the heat in.

"Not for now," Senku said, shaking his head. He shook his water flask, gauging how much remained. "We've got more drinking water in the lab, right?"

"Yeah, I'll get it," Chrome offered. "I should walk Suika back to the village anyway, now that it's dark. Kohaku dropped off food for dinner. You should eat, Senku."

"Suika wants to stay and help!"

Senku shook his head. "You should head home for the night. Gen might be feverish in the morning and it wouldn't do any good for you to get sick, too."

"Suika wants to help..."

"It would be a big help if you'd bring over breakfast in the morning," Chrome offered appeasingly.

"Suika will bring breakfast bright and early!" Suika vowed. "And Suika will check in to see if Gen has gotten better."

"I'm sure he will," Senku said as Chrome and Suika descended the ladder. "I know you will," Senku repeated, using a dry cloth to tamp away sweat from Gen's forehead.

Gen's eyes were fever-bright as he opened them, searching the dark until he found Senku crouched over him. He smiled weakly. "Are we home, Senku?"

Senku laughed. Not because it was funny, but because it was the only emotional response he knew how to give in tense situations. "Yeah. We're home, Gen."

Gen shifted weakly beneath the blanket as if trying to free one of his hands. Senku placed a hand on his chest to still him. "Do you need anything?"

Gen smiled, his eyes falling shut again. "No. Nothing." A deep breath like a sigh, and then he was asleep. When Chrome returned home, it was to find Senku asleep where he sat, one hand resting lightly on Gen's chest, his dinner completely uneaten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked that one! I had a lot of fun writing it. ^_^ This fic updates monthly, but if you’d like to know when it’s updating, you can subscribe or follow me on Twitter: @ShiroKabocha1


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Making light bulbs has been an incredibly successful project! But is it just success that has Senku feeling a little…odd? Or is it the festive and romantic atmosphere those lights create on one of the most romantic nights of the year?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, I think we’re getting close! Go for it, Gen! We’re all rooting for you!

"Toss that end up here!" Senku called down to Chrome. The tree branch he clung to trembled in the wind but it wasn't the chill that made him shiver--it was the height. Originally, Chrome had been the one climbing with Senku tossing things up, but the two of them quickly realized that Senku's throwing arm was nowhere near as accurate as Chrome's and they had to be delicate with this equipment.

So that left Senku climbing a pine tree in the middle of winter.

"Coming up!" Chrome shouted, pulling his arm back for a toss. The spindle of wire sailed right at Senku and he had to resist the urge to flinch in order to catch it.

Maybe he really should have let Kohaku help. That would have been a much smarter choice.

It also would have ruined some of the surprise.

Senku unspooled a length of wire and wrapped it around the branch he sat on. Moving slowly, he stood up and inched along the branch, unspooling more wire as he went. At the very least, Chrome moved beneath him. He doubted his fellow scientist could catch him, but at least landing on him would minimize the risk of severe injuries. Or he could just not fall.

The branch trembled beneath him and his knees trembled with it. Senku pushed himself on, trying to tell himself he'd done stuff way more dangerous that this--like collecting acid from Lake Sulfurina. It didn't really help, but at least he tried.

How did Gen manage to lie to himself so effectively that he could keep his body warm while freezing in the middle of the ocean, and cool enough not to sweat while hiking in summer? If the mentalist could figure it out, Senku should be able to do it, too. In theory, anyway.

"Hello up there, Senku-chan!" Gen's voice cut through the sullen cold like a warm knife through a butter pat. Senku wobbled on his branch, clutching the one above him in a death grip. Had thinking of the mentalist somehow conjured him? "You're pretty high up there. I hope you're using certified fall protection!"

"Heh. Well, certified as far as the stone age is concerned." He tugged at the rope lashed around his waist that was also looped around the bole of the tree. If he fell, the rope would catch him, but he still ran the risk of hitting a few branches and then dangling in midair until someone else climbed up to help him. "What do you want, mentalist?"

"I came to drop off your lunch, since it seemed as if you two were going to work right through it." Gen held up a hand, a woven basket dangling from his fingertips. "It should come as no surprise that it's just some of the meat and vegetables you helped the village store. Nothing too terribly fancy. I will, however, accept a tip for the gracious delivery out to the middle of nowhere."

Senku chuckled. The village didn't even have currency. That, and he doubted that Gen was actually the one designated to bring lunch to them. He'd likely intercepted one of the village children and bribed them with candy in order to take over the lunch basket. Senku's stomach grumbled, reminding him that lunch should have occurred hours ago, yet he still wasn't quite ready to descend from the tree yet. When he did climb down, he didn't want to have to climb back up.

"Are you busy today, Gen?" Senku called down as he looped a wire around a branch, then inched sideways until he could hop to the next strongest foothold.

"Well, I was planning to get my hair colored and then maybe get a pedicure. These boots are murder on my tender toes." Gen sounded playfully mournful. "Did you have a task for me, Senku? Want me to climb up there for you? I imagine I'm a tad bit better at balancing than you are."

While that was almost certainly true, Gen was one of the only people who would actually understand this project and he wanted to see the reaction of a modern-timer to the display when it was over—and that meant getting Gen gone as quickly as possible.

"Tell the villagers that I'll have something to show them after sundown," Senku instructed. "See if you can get everyone to take dinner in the kingdom of science, then we'll all walk here together."

"Everyone?" Gen asked. "Or do you mean just the ones you expect to fight in the Stone Wars against Tsukasa?"

"Everyone," Senku confirmed. "Try to get everyone to come. Use your mental tricks if you have to. I'll be back at camp in time for dinner, don't worry."

Gen sighed loud enough that Senku could hear it, even though a particularly thick branch of pine needles blocked him from sight. "What a cruel taskmaster you are. I'll expect repayment for this."

"I'll owe you a cola," Senku retorted.

Gen chuckled. By the time Senku rounded the tree again, he was gone.

"Did he have anyone with him?" Senku asked, glancing down at Chrome.

"I didn't see anyone," Chrome confirmed, a stick of dry venison pinched between his lips.

Senku's stomach gurgled again and he promptly set himself back to his task. The spool was nearly empty, anyway. Almost done, then he could climb down.

It was weird that Gen had come all the way out here on his own. Lately, he didn't seem to go anywhere by himself. Not since his accidental run-in with Tsukasa's hunters. He didn't act any different, not really. No night terrors or jumping at small noises, nothing like that. He just seemed to be...everywhere. Yes, that was it. Gen used to disappear for periods of time with no explanation of where he was going or what he was doing. Now, every time Senku looked around, he seemed to be somewhere nearby. Sometimes working, sometimes staring off into space, sometimes lurking around and asking annoying questions. Senku wouldn't mind that much if Gen wasn't a terrible helper in the lab. The best he could do was clean glassware, but usually by the time it came to clean up, Gen would mysteriously disappear.

It's probably a reaction to his scare, Senku rationalized. Hell, he'd been scared himself. He woke up most mornings with an arm thrown over Gen's side with no memory of reaching out to him. He wasn't sure if it was the cold that drew them tighter together as they slept, or fear that caused them to huddle up so. But Gen never mentioned it, so neither did Senku. Maybe someone more sensitive to emotional needs, like Yuzuriha or even Taiju would know how to talk about it. Senku didn't. If Gen was content to ignore the incident and pretend it never happened, then Senku would simply follow his lead. Gen was the psychology genius. How ever he chose to handle the situation was probably the best way. Right?

Senku swiped sweat from his brow and pinched the front of his coat, letting cool air pour down his collar for just a moment. The sky was a solid white-gray, the kind that didn't look like individual clouds, but rather as if the sky had been painted by a single brush. It would likely snow tonight. The thought made him grin. It would almost be too perfect if it did decide to snow tonight.

"Was that the last roll?" Senku called down.

"Yep!" Chrome called back, his mouth full of something. "Are we done?"

"Not just yet." Senku sidled up against the tree, untied his tether, then slowly made his way down. "We have to connect a line to the battery pack and create an on-off switch. But we're nearly there, Chrome!"

" _Bad!_ " Chrome cheered. "But food first, right?"

"Yeah." Senku's legs gave out as they hit the firmament. For a minute he just braced his back against the tree and stared up at the sullen, white sky. "Food first."

~*~

It looked as if Gen had been successful in gathering all the villagers at the kingdom of science just as Senku asked. The central bonfire was lit, but so were many torches encircling the camp, making it seem lively and bright. The scents of food cooking and the sounds of singing made it seem almost like a festival. Senku found himself wondering if it had been Gen's idea or Ruri's idea to turn the gathering into a feast, but decided it didn't really matter. Everyone was in lively spirits for such a cold night, and asking the villagers to leave the safety of their homes was no small request.

Senku hoped everything went according to plan.

The science was on his side, of course. But that didn't mean he hadn't overlooked a detail in his execution. He wasn't used to feeling nervous over such a small science experiment--after all, this was nothing new. It would be highly embarrassing if he couldn't quite pull it off the way he expected.

"Ah, the science masters have returned!" Gen greeted cheerfully. He wore gloves on both hands and cupped a mug that steamed faintly. While most villagers drank warm wine, Senku guessed Gen had tea in his mug. The mentalist claimed to have no tolerance for spirits. "Tell us, oh wise ones: what surprise do you have in store for us all?"

Senku grinned, burying his nerves down deep. "Give it another hour until darkness falls, then we'll show you. Is that fresh meat I smell?"

"The hunting team caught a wild boar today!" Kohaku crowed. "A little stringy, but fresh meat is fresh meat!"

Senku allowed himself to be pulled into the revelry, enjoying the food and even a drink of wine. A few of the villagers beat skin-covered drums and others started to dance. One or two of the village girls--he'd forgotten their names, something to do with gem stones, maybe?--tried to get him to dance, but Senku refused. Mostly because fresh meat in winter was a rarity, but also because he didn't want to. Dancing required touching and touching made him uncomfortable. He expected Gen might take a turn at dancing--the lithe mentalist seemed the type to know a move or two--but Gen stuck close to Senku's side, saying little except to sigh wistfully for a cola. That would have to wait until spring, or more likely summer: limes hadn't been a priority to store over the winter.

When it was finally dark enough, Senku grabbed a torch and waved it for everyone's attention. Once he had it, though, he had no idea what to say. He didn't want to give the secret away--not too soon--and even if he told them what it was, the villagers weren't likely to understand it. What did one say when reintroducing a centuries-old concept to people who had never seen its like before?

Luckily, he didn't ponder too long before Gen jumped up, grabbing another torch from the ground.

"Is the surprise ready for us now, Senku-chan?" Gen asked in a teasing but projected voice, catching the attention of all the villagers. "By all means, lead the way!"

That, Senku could do. Chrome and a few others grabbed torches as well, following the path Senku had walked only an hour ago. He felt exhausted--the day’s work had been physical, strenuous and long--but if it worked, it would all be worth it.

There was some talk along the way, but Senku's mind wasn't on that, nor on the lightly falling snow. He was wondering if he'd grounded the wires properly, if all the air had been removed from the bulbs, grimacing as he calculated the likelihood of starting a fire--low, but not zero. At least he had the day right. Of that, he was certain.

Everything else...less certain.

He drove his torch into the ground, leaving it far from the dropping branches of the tree. He found the switch in the dark, taking a moment to ensure that it was still connected to the wires on the tree as well as the battery pack. Then, with a held breath and the hope that he'd done everything right, Senku flipped the switch.

A single heartbeat like a moment frozen in time, then suddenly the tree lit up beautifully, a brilliant star against the snowy backdrop. Senku let out his breath in a misty rush, grinning at his own accomplishment. He didn't always mind when a project went wrong--you could learn something even from failure--but he'd really wanted this one to go right.

The villagers gasped, some cried out in fright, some just cried, some were too awed to speak. But the face Senku sought wasn't one of the villagers: he was looking to see his fellow modern-timer's reaction. Gen's eyes sparkled, honest amazement etched on his face as realization finally dawned.

"Senku-chan?" Gen asked, standing close enough to almost whisper. "What day is today?"

"Lost track already?" Senku grinned. "Don't worry, mentalist. I didn't expect you to remember."

Gen blinked the stars out of his eyes and folded his arms inside his sleeves. "This village doesn't have a tradition for Christmas. This is any other day for them. And unless Tsukasa has been keeping up with the calendar you left him, I doubt his people know what day it is either. So tell, Senku-chan. Who did you do this for?"

The easy answer was to say it was a test. That electrical wires and glass bulbs and a thousand other things were delicate and before they could be weaponized, they had to at least be reliable. But standing there, staring up at the tree that Senku himself had dressed in multiple strings of lights--lights that he had created, had shaped the filament for, had constructed a mercury vacuum pump for, had designed the bulb-shape for--he couldn't bring himself to lie. A little over a year ago, he'd been reborn into this stone world with nothing. Not even the clothes on his back. From nothing, he was here. Standing in the light of science.

He'd done that.

"I did it for me," Senku said simply. "I wanted to."

And I'm proud of it, Senku realized but didn't say aloud. It seemed arrogant, especially since he hadn't done it on his own. No, he'd needed Kaseki to shape the glass. He'd needed Chrome to locate all the necessary materials. He'd needed the help of the villagers to coil the wire and the ingenuity of Chrome and Kaseki together that harnessed the power of the river into electricity. No, he hadn't done it alone. But it still felt like a singularly unique accomplishment.

"You should be proud." Gen spoke softly, suddenly as close to Senku as another person could be without quite touching. Gen's eyes were on the sparkling tree, but by his words, it sounded as if he'd read Senku's mind. "To be able to conceptualize something this big and the actually make it happen...that is truly an accomplishment, Senku. I hope you give yourself all the credit you are due."

They stood at the edge of the light, right on the cusp of the halo around the glowing tree. The snow was falling fast, yet no one seemed in a hurry to leave. The bright, white lights seemed to drown out even the torches the villagers had brought with them from the kingdom of science.

"It's everyone's accomplishment, really," Senku insisted. "I couldn't have done it without hunters and gatherers providing food. Or without the manual labor that created the backbone of the science. It took everyone to create this."

"And you've brought light back to everyone," Gen pointed out. "Whatever you feel you owe, you've paid back with this and more. It's healthy to take pride in your accomplishments." Gen's face was luminous as he turned to look at Senku. "It's a good thing to go after what you want."

Maybe it was the light, or maybe it was because he was cold. Maybe it was the idea of Christmas as a romantic holiday that had been sold through countless TV specials, or maybe it was the sense of deep satisfaction that settled beneath Senku's skin. Whatever it was, suddenly the thought of being close--of being touched--wasn't an uncomfortable one. In fact, it was almost as if...as if he wanted to touch. To be touched. And Gen was so close, eyes shining with something that wasn't quite admiration, but there was something there. And with his face tipped like that, his smile soft and welcoming, it was almost as if...as if he expected...

"Hey, Senku!" The thin layer of snow crunched beneath Chrome's winter boots. Senku drew back, surprised to realize he'd been leaning quite intimately in towards Gen. "Ruri wants to know more about the lights, but I can't answer all her questions. I know there isn't a fire inside the bulbs, but you said something about them being able to burn, didn't you?"

Senku coughed, discomfort rapidly catching up to him now that he'd been reminded of his close proximity to another person. He straightened up, searching for the logical answer to Chrome's answer rather than consider what had just almost happened. "The bulbs can and will burn out over time. We don't have the resources for LED lighting or anything more advanced. And because the bulbs produce heat, it is possible for them to start a fire if certain materials are left in contact with the bulbs for a duration of time. Fur, for example, so don't leave any clothing draped over the bulbs. But with the ambient temperature as low as it is and with Kaseki's quality work, the possibility of a fire tonight is fairly low."

"Oh, okay." For some reason, Chrome seemed more interested in Gen than in the scientific explanation he'd requested. "So then, will you leave the lights on all night, or turn them off when we leave?"

"I'll turn them off," Senku confirmed, adjusting his weight to shift away from Gen. Despite the snow, his body felt almost uncomfortably warm. "Just because the risk is low doesn't mean we should take chances."

"Okay." Chrome's eyes were still darting to Gen. Senku frowned but when he looked over, Gen's expression was peaceful and placid, revealing nothing. "But, uh, it's the filament that wears out over time, right? It seems that repeatedly turning the lights on and off would cause them to burn out more quickly."

"That's a good assessment," Senku confirmed. "We definitely shouldn't put undue stress on the filaments by turning the lights on and off without reason. Today was just a test run and a demonstration. We'll make more practical in-home lighting when we have the time and resources."

"Okay, but what if--"

Gen yawned loudly, stretching his arms exaggeratedly over his head. "Well, this has been an absolutely thrilling reveal, really, but after all that running around and trying to get the villagers to congregate in the kingdom of science for no reason I could easily explain, I am _tired_. The cold and the snow aren't helping at all. Do you think it's about time to head back, Senku-chan? You can leave the scientific explanations for a time when we're all dry and warm."

It _was_ late and it certainly was cold. But something about finally defeating the night--about refusing to be ruled by the rise and set of the sun--filled Senku with a sense of defiance. He wanted to revel in the light of science for at least a little while longer.

"Let's stay a little longer," Senku found himself saying, eyes on the tree, on his triumph. "If you're cold, we can go stand closer to the tree. It'll be a few degrees warmer there, especially with the villagers all grouped up."

"But if you're tired, Gen, you could always head back early," Chrome suggested. "I know you get cold easily these days."

Senku caught only a flash of Gen's dark glare before the mentalist smoothed it away, smiling brightly at Senku. "As much as I appreciate the lighting as well as the sentiment of the holiday, I think I may head back." Gen leaned against Senku's shoulder, one hand resting lightly on Senku's elbow. The air of Gen's breath curled like steam off hot tea as he spoke: "I hope you'll join me soon, Senku-chan."

This time, when Gen pulled away, he left an emptiness behind. It was different from the discomfort, but still undefinable, new and confusing. Gen turned away, tucking his arms inside his sleeves as he walked away from the brilliant tree and into the looming darkness.

"Gen."

He paused, looking back over his shoulder, smile illuminated by the light from the tree. "Yes, Senku?"

"Take someone with you," Senku insisted. "Don't go alone."

Gen's expression didn't change but what had at first looked inviting went startlingly cold without the twitch of a single muscle. "Of course. I wouldn't want you to have to come save me again, after all."

A small group of villagers--mostly elders and a few children--were already beginning the trek back to the village. Gen joined up with them, matching his pace to theirs and talking effortlessly as they pestered him with questions about lights in the modern era. Senku watched him go until his back disappeared into the darkness, the pinpoint of a single torch giving evidence to their location.

"Senku?" Chrome asked, almost startling him. For some reason, he'd thought Chrome had walked away too. His lab partner shifted restlessly. "Kohaku and the others have some questions if you have the time?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah." Senku grinned. "I always have time to satisfy a little scientific curiosity. Let's go."

It only took an hour for the night to grow too cold to stay out any longer. The remaining villagers rekindled the torches that had died while Senku pulled the plug on the lights. The sudden plunge into darkness took long minutes to adjust to, and even when he could see the torches well enough to follow them, they seemed dim by comparison. The walk back to the campsite seemed even longer than the walk out to the tree, though logically Senku knew the distances had to be the same.

"Coming up?" Chrome asked, already halfway up the ladder to his hut. Senku saw Chrome look down by the light of the torch he still held.

Senku hesitated. That was the most logical thing to do. It was late, it was dark, it was cold. Going to bed with his two roommates made the most sense. But he felt an urge pulling him to make an irrational decision, one he rarely felt with any urgency, but this time it felt deeper than ever. It wasn't just a want, in that moment it felt more like a _need_.

"I have to stop by the privy trench," Senku said by way of explanation. It wasn't a lie, it just wasn't the whole truth, either. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Ah, okay." By unspoken agreement, the three of them tried not to use the privy after dark. It was dug behind the tree line, not too far away from camp, but just far enough to be out of sight and, more importantly, downwind. "Do you want me to come with? Just in case?"

"No thanks." Senku forced a chuckle. "I might be a while."

By the expression on Chrome's face, Senku guessed he'd caught the implication. Again, it wasn't a lie--he likely would be a while. But not for the reason Chrome thought.

Once Chrome was safely inside the hut, Senku made his way carefully and slowly into the woods, following the well-worn path to the privy. It wasn't the best location for such a thing, but in the tight quarters of Chrome's hut, there really was no alternative. And at least the privy was private at this time of night. And this...this was actually way more private than simply expelling waste.

This was simple biology.

Senku drove the end of his torch into the ground, making certain it was secure and not about to burn out anytime too soon. He probably could find his way back in the dark, but he'd rather not have to. This would have been easier in his usual lab coat, but the layers of clothing made it vastly more difficult. He shivered as he opened his coat, peeled back a few layers, then tore the glove off his hand with his teeth before shoving his hand down his pants. He stifled a groan at his own touch.

Biology. So inconvenient.

It wasn't often that Senku got the urge to take care of himself like this. He'd read all the pamphlets on puberty years ago, he understood the mechanisms of hormones and how they affected brain chemistry. He knew this was supposed to be normal and that males around his age frequently got these urges. but he'd found that his "need" wasn't as high as most statistics said it should be. Some sources said the average male Senku's age might experience an average of eleven erections per day, only some of which might be caused by actual sexual arousal, but aside from the morning erection that Senku woke up with most mornings (which didn't count, that was entirely different) it was actually a rare day when Senku felt himself become aroused. Even when he did, most times it was easily ignored, subsiding on its own when he refused to pay any attention to it. But then there were those other times, few and far between, when the arousal wouldn't be ignored and Senku felt obligated to take the time and take care of it. While the release was pleasant, overall he considered the experience wasted time and energy: for instance, right now, he'd rather be sleeping, instead of standing in the dark and cold trying to rapidly achieve orgasm.

Senku put his back against a tree as he felt the end grow closer. His breath churned in the air ahead of him, breaths unable to fully dissipate before he released another. Slower than he would have liked, he felt the pressure build, noted the telltale tremble in his legs, the heat in the pit of his stomach. He managed to tug most of his clothes out of the way in time before he found his release--hot at first, then rapidly cooling in the night air. He caught his breath for only a brief moment before searching his pockets for a clean rag and wiping away the little mess that remained. He swiped a boot through the bracken, hoping to cover the pool left behind before anyone might stumble upon it and ask questions, although he expected it would freeze before long. In fact, he was actually surprised he'd been able to cum at all, considering how cold it was.

As Senku wrapped himself back up in his clothes, shivering frequently, he realized the relief he usually experienced afterwards wasn't there. He paused before grabbing the torch, trying to think about how it had been different. If he had somehow...done it wrong?

No, Senku decided slowly. No. This just wasn't the right atmosphere. He'd rushed it because of the cold. He'd been uncomfortable in the setting. That was it. This was just less typical than the norm. That was all.

With that settled, Senku grabbed the torch and made his way back to the camp. He gripped a rung of the ladder before dousing the flickering torch--no good could come of leaving a torch burning in a campsite built mostly of wood. He waited long moments for his night vision to kick in, then slowly climbed the ladder, making sure of each rung before putting his weight on it. This was familiar by now, but the last thing he wanted to be was careless. Besides, he didn't want to step on anyone once he got inside the hut.

Chrome had left the wooden door open a crack, so Senku could slip inside. He shut the door firmly behind him, making his way in the dark more by memory than by sight. He took off his cold, damp clothes slowly, careful not to drip the melting snow on his sleeping companions. He groped around until he found the kimono he used for sleep in the winter, then felt around until he found the edge of the blankets and crawled underneath. The body heat beneath the blankets was alluring but he held back from cuddling in too close: his skin was cool to the touch and he didn't want to wake anyone unpleasantly. The space was tight enough already without being inconsiderate towards one another.

Just as Senku was beginning to drift off, the body beside him shifted restlessly, then rolled over, one leg kicking over Senku's legs beneath the blanket. He frowned, thinking. Gen never sprawled in his sleep. Gen slept in a tight ball, his hands curled into his chest. He might sidle up against either Senku or Chrome in the middle of the night, but he certainly never spread out like this. That meant the person sleeping in the middle tonight...was Chrome?

Not that it mattered, it was just a strange thing to note. Gen almost always slept in the middle of the room, claiming he had poor circulation and needed the warmth more. Even stranger was that Gen has returned to the hut first, so...had he deliberately chosen to sleep on the far side?

Senku yawned. It was confusing, but not at all important. Rolling so that his back faced Chrome, Senku tucked an arm beneath his head and quickly fell asleep.

~*~^~*~

Stupid Chrome. Gen snapped a branch he'd been collecting for firewood. Stupid Senku! We were so close! So _close!_ And Chrome had to come over and ruin it all.

He sulked as he grabbed another twig off the ground, shaking the snow off of it. The snow wasn't too thick on the ground yet, but the villagers seemed to think it would get worse before it got better. And while the stored firewood was dry, it wouldn't be enough to get them through the winter and the newly collected wood was going to have to dry before it could be of any use. So any idle villagers were out collecting firewood.

Not that Gen considered himself one of the villagers. He just needed some time away from the kingdom of science while still remaining in the company of others. He really had learned his lesson about wandering off too far on his own. Besides, tedious chores gave him time to seethe.

If Chrome hadn't popped up at that _exact_ instant, Gen was positive Senku would have kissed him. He'd been high off his success with the lights as well as the private accomplishment of lighting a Christmas tree on Christmas day. And while Senku probably hadn't intended for it to be romantic, even he couldn't deny that Christmas was one of the most romantic holidays out of the whole year. As the only other modern-timer, Senku had to have been thinking about gift exchanges, family dinners and eating Christmas cakes. And even, perhaps, spending the night cuddled up with someone in a more-than-friends capacity. It had been perfect! Would have been perfect! Chrome couldn't even understand the depths of romance he'd destroyed in arriving at that very minute!

The fact that Chrome really couldn't have known was what kept Gen from believing it had been a malicious interruption. Although, after the interruption, Gen had signaled Chrome--in no uncertain terms--to go the hell away and Chrome ignored him, continuing to ask inane questions until the mood was sufficiently dead. He'd hoped to goad Senku into returning to the hut a little early, just in case the mood could be rekindled, but by all accounts, Senku had stayed out even later than Chrome had. Not a great sign, really. Perhaps he'd been overthinking things? Or maybe he'd come to a realization that Gen was making a move on him? Whatever it was, Gen had been too sensitized to sleep close to Senku--to revel in his warmth and scent--so he'd opted to sleep against the wall, rather than pine for something that stayed just out of his reach no matter how high he climbed for it.

That man is a robot, Gen thought coldly as he broke another twig before fitting it inside the basket hooked around his elbow. I had just loosened those gears in his chest that he calls a heart, and then Chrome showed up to pour ice water on them and rust them over again. What a waste!

And then, if you please, Chrome had announced that he was going on a collection mission and that he’d be away from camp for at least three days. It should have been the perfect opportunity to take advantage of some of that alone time with Senku—they even had the hut all to themselves! But the magic of Christmas night had been spoiled, and as it became increasingly clear that bamboo filament wasn’t going to work in the vacuum tubes, Senku had become increasingly irate. Senku’s poor mood was half the reason Gen had fled to go pick up sticks with the villagers, rather than stay and be associated with the stink of failure.

Part of his frustration, Gen knew, was the feeling of being hard up. He didn't mind taking a break from sex--not at all, really. And sex, really, was the least important part of a relationship. It was just the simplest way to forge a connection to someone who had no emotions to exploit. And even a robot like Senku had to have needs sometimes. Didn't he? But as unimportant as sex actually was, Gen was beginning to miss it. He missed the intimacy, he missed the giving and receiving of pleasure, he missed the feeling of closeness. Not that he'd experienced much of that... His past contained more sexual partners than he preferred to admit and not nearly enough real relationships. This stone world was a fresh start on all of that. If only the person he wanted to start over with wasn't a completely heartless robot!

I'm just mad, Gen told himself, forcibly exhaling a breath. Mad and a little pent-up. Maybe I should see if someone will head up to the hot springs with me. A little alone time beneath some cloudy water could be a temporary remedy.

Of course, he was tired of that by now. But what other options were there? The hut he shared had no inner walls, no private spaces and the privy was open to all and sundry--no chance for privacy there. Never mind the fact that it was cold--Gen was fairly certain he couldn't keep it up long enough to finish in such conditions. He'd love a little private space of his own, but that would mean giving up sharing floor space with Senku. He had no illusions that the scientist would want to stay as close to his lab as possible: inviting Senku to stay in a different hut was out of the question.

It might be time to give up on the relationship angle, Gen considered, feeling melancholy now that his anger was spent. Senku will still need me in other capacities. Eventually, he'll need to negotiate with the people of Tsukasa's kingdom of might and bargaining is where I shine. And if he really intends to cure everyone's petrification, there are going to be more fights that break out, over territory, over resources. He'll need someone who can keep a cool mind when negotiations get hot. And if--just if--there are other people in the world who revived, or other surviving villages like Ishigami village, he'll need a skilled negotiator and translator. I have other uses; I _am_ valuable to Senku.

Just...not in the way he wanted to be.

Just thinking about working alongside Senku while remaining platonic with him made Gen's guts shrivel up and wither. Sure, maybe over time his feelings would lose their edge and he'd be able to move on, start a relationship with someone else. Maybe several someone elses. But...if he were being honest, he wanted that person to be Senku. It wasn't just that Senku was a once-in-a-generation genius, one with the drive and determination to actually revive all of humanity. It was everything Senku was--his pride, his anxieties, his ability to keep moving forward no matter what--that Gen found so attractive. So many people had grand ideas. So few people actually had the motivation to follow through.

Senku was unique.

I'm not giving up yet, Gen thought, dabbing at sweat on his forehead. As long as Senku is the one who makes the first move, it'll all be okay. But how do I get him to make that move? Christmas is already behind us and I doubt he'll be so kind as to let me know what day is Valentine's day. Besides, by then we might be at war with the kingdom of might. And who knows how that might end?

And with the cell phone plan currently in shambles, who knew if they were even going to be able to beat the kingdom of might? While Senku had doggedly followed his roadmap of science, the entire project was about to end up in failure.

Failure...

Something about that triggered the thought process in Gen's brain.

If failure had a stronger impact on Senku's emotional state than waking up alone in a stone world and having to start all over from scratch, then what if it wasn't simply the Christmas lights that had put him in such a wonderful mood that they had almost kissed? What if it wasn't the journey, but the success? If failure brought Senku down, then scientific advances could bring him back up.

But what could Gen do or make that would be considered a "scientific success?"

Well, he certainly couldn't help with the vacuum tubes, that was for sure. He didn't even really understand what they did, never mind the solution to the filament problem. At the end of the day, Gen had enjoyed the progress of human civilization without ever really comprehending the amount of work that went into creating it. Even creating something as simple and everyday as Suika's glasses was beyond Gen's ability. 

But thinking of Suika's glasses gave Gen an idea. He stood perfectly still, letting the thought ferment and solidify. He stayed like that until a sharp whistle sounded: the call to return to the village. He scarcely noticed that his collection basket was only half-full as compared to the others, choosing instead to focus on his idea.

I'd need Kaseki to make it, Gen thought. And I need Senku so occupied, he doesn't think to look in on what Kaseki is making, because he'll figure it out at a glance. It might not be the most scientific of all inventions...but after hearing all about Senku's model rockets growing up, I think this just might hit the sweet spot between nostalgia and science. I just need the right occasion...

Gen grinned to himself. Nothing was better than a well-calculated scheme.

~*~^~*~

Senku was sweating, weary, and seriously wondering if he had it in him to take another step. But despite his physical misery, he was actually elated--they had found the treasure trove of minerals, including the elusive tungsten that would withstand the heat and pressure of a vacuum tube! The cell phone plan wasn't sunk at all: he just might be ready in time for the war against Tsukasa's kingdom of might. If he hurried.

And if nothing else went wrong.

Senku's knees threatened to give out beneath him. Though he could see light through the opening of the tunnel ahead, he stopped and put a hand on the cave wall, breathing heavily. He was carrying way too much weight with all the minerals he'd collected, but he wasn't tempted to drop any of them, even for a second trip back to the cave another day. He'd rather drop his camp gear, his battery-powered head lamp and even a few of his tools just to get all these precious materials back to camp. He just...had to catch his breath first...

"You doing okay, Senku?" Chrome asked, stopping beside him. Chrome was sweating too, also laden with the burden of carrying minerals back to camp, but he looked far sturdier than Senku felt. He was even carrying a little more than Senku was. Rationally, Senku knew he was physically stronger now than he had been back in the modern era by necessity, but it was difficult not to compare himself to his fellow scientist. He'd likely never have the endurance Chrome had, thanks to the different eras they grew up in. Not unless Chrome became as lax and lazy as a modern-timer. And Senku doubted very much that would ever be the case.

"Just taking a breather," Senku assured him, grinning through his exhaustion. "I don't know why Magma is pushing us so hard. Is there some sort of festival or something at the village he doesn't want to miss?"

"Not that I know of." Chrome shrugged, making Senku jealous of how easy the gesture was despite the sack of rocks on his back. "But I'm looking forward to fresh food and a warm bed, too, after camping for three days."

"Yeah," Senku agreed wistfully. "I suppose I can see the draw."

"Hurry up!" Magma's voice echoed off the low cave ceiling. "It's already afternoon! The sun will be setting soon!"

"We have light sources now," Senku reminded him, pointing to his headband. "We can find our way back to camp in the dark if we have to. I'd say we got pretty used to it while trekking through the cave. Getting back to camp in the dark should be no problem."

"You don't understand!" Magma called, obviously frustrated. "Hurry it up, or I'm not waiting on your asses!"

Senku and Chrome rolled their eyes at each other, but Senku reluctantly pushed off the wall and resumed his plod forward. Despite the aches in his shoulders, neck, back, knees and feet, he really was looking forward to getting back home. Or, at least, the home he shared with Chrome and Gen. He wasn't sure when he'd begun thinking of it as "his home" but at some point, he had. He wasn't even sure if that was a good or a bad thing. At least he knew he liked having a place to return to.

Maybe after the war with the kingdom of might, I should put some effort into having my own hut constructed, Senku thought. We're way past me taking Chrome on as my apprentice, he's a scientist in his own right, now. And I did just kind of barge into his home, practically uninvited.

But then...would Gen stay at Chrome's place? Would Gen decide to crash at Senku's new hut? Or would Gen, perhaps, have his own home built with all the luxuries science could conveniently fill it with?

And why, of all things, was Senku wondering what Gen would do if he moved out of Chrome's hut?

Because of that moment during the Christmas tree lighting, Senku acknowledged with an inward sigh. Because of that feeling like a hot bulb burning inside his chest, because of that strange longing that had made his own biological urges too desperate to ignore. Because no matter how he looked at it, Senku had wanted something that night...and Gen seemed to understand what that something was. In fact, Gen had almost seemed to anticipate whatever that had been.

Thinking about it objectively, it seemed likely that Gen might have some...feelings...towards Senku. Not that Senku had ever been very good at picking up on those signals. Yuzuriha had been the one to recognize when someone was flirting with Senku in school, and often accurately predicted when someone was about to confess to him. It happened often enough that Senku had gotten pretty comfortable with turning down confessions. He had no idea what to do with someone who didn't actually openly confess.

That's probably why he hasn't confessed, Senku thought with a rueful inward grin. I can't turn him down if he doesn't give me the option to.

Or could he? Senku mulled it over, shielding his eyes from the sudden light as he stepped outside the cave. Why couldn't he simply have a very frank discussion with Gen, explaining that he wasn't interested in pursuing a relationship outside of a purely professional one? Gen was very obviously skilled in areas that Senku wasn't--psychology, negotiating, lying and even languages--that made him necessary for the kingdom of science. And it wasn't as if Gen wouldn't understand: as long as Senku explained it right, Gen would see it as a matter of sexuality (or lack thereof) rather than a personal affront. Gen was good like that; he'd understand better than Chrome would have. Possibly even better than Taiju and Yuzuriha, if Senku had bothered to come out to them. That was probably for the best: an honest discussion and then no more awkwardness. It sounded like a pretty good plan to Senku.

Of course, that was when everything went sideways: about halfway back to the village, Magma snatched up Senku, blindfolded him, and tossed him over his shoulder. He could hear Chrome protesting, which gave him some comfort, but Senku harbored no illusions that if Magma wanted them both dead, he had the necessary strength to carry out the deed. Senku couldn't even struggle. Aside from the bouncing as Magma began to jog, being carried was almost kind of nice. Better, at least, than walking with his stupidly heavy bag of rocks.

When Senku heard more voices than just Chrome and Magma, he guessed that he was back in the village, yet the blindfold remained. The only thing this could mean was that an accord had been met with Tsukasa's kingdom of might, trading Senku and science in exchange for peace. He couldn't even fault them: this had never been the villagers' fight in the first place. And perhaps Tsukasa wouldn't kill him this time. Maybe he would allow Senku to stay alive in exchange for small sciences, like medicine and food preservation. And at least he'd be with Taiju and Yuzuriha again...

Though no matter how he tried to spin it, life as Tsukasa's carefully controlled scientist was bound to be a miserable one. It wasn't often that Senku gave in to panic, but when Magma set him down, his knees nearly refused to take his weight. And that wasn't all just physical exhaustion. The murmuring voices became softer, expectant, and somehow Senku knew just who had set this whole thing up even before he spoke.

“Greetings, Senku-chan.” Gen’s voice was liltingly sinister, both taunting and familiar. “At last you’ve returned.”

“What’s going on here?” Senku asked, trying to keep his cool for as long as possible.

“Ha! There’s no way out of this, Senku!” Kohaku’s voice was usually so reassuring; it was a twist hearing it sound so threatening. “We’re all with Gen on this.”

He was sweating now, no denying it. But hell if he would let them see it.

“I should’ve known you guys would realize eventually,” he chuckled, still blinded, weak and helpless. “That if you gave me up to Tsukasa and swore off science the village would be safe. It’s the rational way out of this trouble.”

There was a pause that probably only lasted a second, but from where Senku stood—expecting to hear Tsukasa’s voice at any instant—it seemed an eternity. Then—

“I swear I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.” Spoken with a deep sigh.

Then the blindfold was whipped away and Senku was staring--not at the point of a sword--but into the rounded lens of a telescope. The image was a little fuzzy, but in the darkness that had fallen while he was blindfolded, Senku could see the planet Saturn via the telescope's fixed position.

His knees very nearly dropped him then.

It was overwhelming, really. Not only had Gen had somehow figured out his birthday, but he'd found a way to celebrate it that brought the entire village together. They'd built him his own loft above Chrome's hut, elevated the telescope through a skylight in the ceiling, brought food and drink and music out to the kingdom of science to celebrate. And Senku's own light bulbs, removed from the Christmas tree, kept the clearing as bright as day. The villagers weren't just celebrating Senku's birthday: they were celebrating science, and all the advantages it had given them in the almost-year since Senku had arrived.

He didn't expect his emotional response, either. Not just for the villagers' gratitude, that was something he could have laughed off and insisted on something more practical: manpower, for example. And he'd tried that with the telescope, saying it would give them an advantage against Tsukasa's army. But even then, he'd found himself close to tears without really knowing why. Relief was part of it...but not the larger part of it.

Senku begged off early from the celebration, surprisingly not at all hungry after three days of eating nothing but traveling rations. He wasn't tired, either, but he couldn't stay around so many people. He was beginning to feel claustrophobic. Instead, he climbed up past Chrome's hut to the new second level: the loft that was suddenly all his.

It wasn't too great a surprise to find Gen standing beside the telescope, waiting for him. 

The reason why Gen was waiting didn't really matter. What mattered was that this was a good opportunity to clear up any misunderstandings between them. To tell Gen... To let Gen know he wasn't interested in being anything other than friends, anything other than professionals with aligned goals. It was the perfect time to talk openly and honestly--the only way Senku knew how to deal with emotional issues, rather than flat out ignoring them.

But still, seeing Gen standing next to the telescope he'd made for Senku's birthday, in the middle of the private observatory the whole village had come together to build, Senku hesitated. Something unnamable held him back. Something in the way Gen was looking up at the night sky, smiling softly, his face lit by starlight. Something about the moment felt...crystalized. Frozen.

What was that feeling?

Gen glanced over at Senku, still smiling. "Turning in already? Or did you just want to give your first birthday gift in over three thousand years a try?"

Senku turned to look out the observatory window, only the telescope between the two of them. "A guy like me doesn't just go around telling everyone his birthday. How'd you figure it out?"

"You don't remember?" Gen asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "The morning just before the sun rose on New Year's Day?"

Senku did remember. He almost laughed. "That leading question? Heh. You got me, mentalist." He paused a moment, eyes admiring Kaseki's skilled craftsmanship on the telescope. "But that would have been impossible to reverse calculate without knowing how long I was petrified."

Gen faced away, looking up at the sprawl of stars across the pitch-black sky. "You recall, don't you? How you wrote down the date that you broke out of the stone?"

He had written it down, hadn't he? He'd been counting the seconds for centuries, it had kept his brain active enough that the nitric acid in the soil had had an easier time breaking down his petrified shell. After so long, he'd needed the visual of written numbers to calculate the date after all those years, decades, centuries of counting. He'd carved his revival date on a tree right outside the miracle fluid cave.

And not only had Gen seen it: he'd memorized it.

"In truth, even before we met..." Gen didn't turn his face away from the stars, didn't look directly at Senku, though Senku felt as if he couldn't have stopped staring at Gen for anything. "I was...already quite fond of you, Senku-chan. And I'm not the only one who feels that way. The entire village came together in order to show their gratitude in this gift."

Gen closed his eyes and lowered his chin. When those blue eyes locked on Senku's with only the width of the observatory window between them, Senku felt as if the wind had been knocked out of his lungs. "But I'm sure that just makes you feel uncomfortable, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." Senku forced out a chuckle. "Pretty uncomfortable."

Gen smiled. "I thought so."

The silence roared, deafening in Senku’s ears. He could hear each individual heart beat in his ears, slow and dramatic, like the build-up of a dramatic reveal. That strange, intense feeling was back but it was…somehow strangely different. Nothing felt easy this time, nothing felt _right_. What did he do? What did he say? He wasn’t used to feeling so incredibly…stymied.

A sudden realization made his heart jump a beat: if Gen tried to kiss him now, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to say what he’d meant to say in the first place. Wasn’t even sure he’d _want_ to say what he’d meant to say.

As Senku stood reeling, trying to put words to what he wanted to say, Gen turned away from the observatory window and stepped around the telescope. The fur of his sleeves just barely skimmed Senku’s clothing as Gen stepped in front of him…and then kept on walking. Senku blinked in surprise as Gen opened the little portal door and set one foot outside on the ladder.

"Wait," he called, not sure what he was going to say next. Honestly, this never happened. Senku might not always say the right thing, but he usually had something to say about anything.

Gen paused, smiling kindly. "If you're not ready, you're not ready. Don't worry about it, Senku-chan. I'll be here when you are."

And then Gen was gone, descended down the ladder.

Senku remained, frozen, right where Gen had left him.

That was probably for the best…wasn’t it?

It slowly dawned on Senku that the stars had become even brighter than before—no, that wasn’t right. The lights in the camp had been doused, so it only looked as the stars were brighter now. Just below his new observatory, Senku heard voices talking softly: Chrome and Gen. He pictured them laying out pallets, getting ready for bed, perhaps discussing kanji and making tea. He should go down and join them: it was still far too cold to sleep in the loft alone.

But before he did, Senku touched the smooth, polished woodwork of the telescope. Even then he couldn’t say whether it was Kaseki’s perfect craftsmanship, or Gen’s thoughtfulness, or the way the telescope reminded Senku of the one Byakuya had bought for him all those years ago… No matter what caused it, all Senku knew was that he couldn’t still be crying when he went down to join Chrome and Gen for bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darn it, so close! Maybe next chapter… ^_^ Follow me on Twitter! @ShiroKabocha1


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second cellphone is complete and spring is coming—and with it, the Stone Wars! Are Senku and Gen going to get their stuff figured out before the fighting starts?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to let all you lovely readers know: I am probably going to be suspending updates to this fic until after season 2 finishes airing. This fic is tagged for the Dr. Stone anime only and I don’t want to get too far ahead with manga spoilers, so I feel like this is a good temporary stopping point until we know where the anime is going to leave us. But I don’t think you’ll be too disappointed where I leave you with this story! ^_~

Click, click.

Click, click.

Cli--"Ah, hello? Senku? Is this...is it working?"

Senku couldn't help the grin that broke out over his face. "Yeah, Chrome. It's working."

"I can hear you! So _BAD_!" Chrome sounded elated and giddy and just a tiny bit tinny, but that was only to be expected with the materials used to build these cellphones. But even Senku found it difficult to contain his enthusiasm--he had just reconstructed cellphones in the stone age!

"Let me try!" Kohaku bullied Senku away from the phone and sucked in a deep breath, as if about to shout.

"No, no, Kohaku-chan!" Gen said, waving his hands. "The point of the phone is to speak at your normal tone. If you shout, he'll hear you all the way back at his hut from here."

Kohaku looked doubtful, but she spoke in a lower tone all the same. Senku found himself elbowed and nudged to the back wall of the small hut as the villagers all attempted to use the phone at once. Not that Senku minded: the test had gone exactly as expected. For once. He couldn't help but feel pride glow inside him like a tiny ball of sunlight. He even self-congratulated, grinning as he asked himself how many other junior scientists could have pulled this off with the resources he'd had?

"Well done, Senku-chan," Gen said, smiling as he sidled up beside Senku. "But that clicking is dreadful. Could you not recreate the old dial tone, or perhaps the ringing sound?"

Senku shook his head, still grinning. "That's all superfluous, we don't need it with just two phones. And the loud ringing would give away our position. The clicking is softer, so only the person carrying the phone should be able to hear it."

"Ah, clever." Gen's eyes glittered mischievously. "Always planning ahead, aren't you, Senku-chan?"

Senku started to say "of course" but stopped himself as Kokuyo grabbed the microphone, telling Chrome (a little louder than necessary) to come back to the village in order to celebrate the completion of the second cellphone.

"Well, at least even the more resistant ones are embracing the utility of science," Senku said, laughing to himself. "Although, it doesn't seem to take much for the village to decide to throw a party these days."

"Hm, I think it's more than that," Gen pointed out thoughtfully. "We modern-timers got used to having so much luxury in our own homes that we didn't need social interaction in order to unwind. Without all those distractions at home, it's easy to see that one of the best ways to relax is to share some food, tell some stories and dance to music. It's different from what we're used to, but it fills the same need for stress relief and self-care. Group activities like parties also tend to stave off seasonal affective disorder."

"Thanks, Asagiri-sensei," Senku replied, rolling his eyes. "I meant that now that we have two functional cellphones, we should begin planning our attack on Tsukasa's camp."

Gen's grin seemed to sharpen as he lowered his chin. "Let the villagers celebrate while they can, Senku-chan. It would do you some good to relax, too."

A quick wink, and then Gen was funneling through the hut's small doorway with other villagers who had crowded in to witness the test of the cellphone. Ideally, Senku would have liked to have tested the cellphone outside, perhaps with a bit more distance between the receivers, but in the end, he didn't want to risk Homura figuring out what they were up to. The entire plan rested on the element of surprise: if Tsukasa knew they had reinvented cellphones, they lost their entire attack strategy. Which, up until this point, had been theoretical at best, so Senku hadn't come up with an exact plan on how to use the phones most effectively. He'd thought they could do it after the prototypes proved to be working as intended, but... Seeing the joy and excitement on the villagers faces, Senku decided that Gen was right. He would be dragging this village into war soon; they might as well celebrate while they could.

Chrome arrived from the kingdom of science, still glowing about the cellphone test and eager to jump into the impromptu celebration, and with him came Kinro, Ginro, Kaseki and Suika, all of whom had taken a turn on the cell phone before returning to the village. Chrome was too hyped and kept randomly shouting the word "Bad!" so talking to him wouldn't yield any useful plans anyway. Chrome did throw an arm around Senku's shoulders and tow him towards the bonfire, where food was already being cooked up. Ruri set up the record player and placed the record of Lillian Weinberg's final recorded song on to play, with the village children taking turns spinning the gears to keep it turning. The song was played a lot lately, but Senku couldn't really blame them: it wasn't as if they had any other forms of entertainment. Yet.

The celebration gained momentum steadily, peaking when the food and alcohol were served. Senku helped himself to a small selection of food, listening with half an ear as people talked about the phone, about the stoves that kept their houses warm, about the medicines that had literally saved lives throughout the winter. And damn it all if that little ball of pride in his chest didn't burn a little hotter. He was still grinning as he sat down to eat, the Lillian Weinberg song repeating for the fourth time that evening. The sun had only just begun to dip when Senku happened to glance back, catching the corner of Gen's smirk at the edge of the bridge to the village. There was a ghost of a wink, then Gen was walking away, presumably to head back to the kingdom of science.

Senku shrugged and turned back to his food, laughing with everyone else as Mantle drunkenly tried singing along with the music. After he gave up and went back to drinking heavily, Suika jumped up and started dancing. A moment later, Ruri took her hands and laughingly danced with her. Chrome watched with a smile as Ginro cajoled him into drinking more than was wise. Off to the side, Kohaku, Magma and Kinro were attempting to split hairs on the sharpened edges of their swords. Everywhere Senku looked, there was merriment and cheer, yet somehow he felt...impatient? Was that what he was feeling? There was like an itchiness beneath his skin that pestered him. It was the feeling of forgetting something important, or like attempting to remember a dream. It was completely indefinable, and yet somehow familiar.

And if he was being entirely honest...

Well, he at least had a suspicion of the cause, even if he wasn't sure.

Senku lasted at the celebration until just after sunset, when the path back to the village was dark and just slightly dangerous, considering the upraised roots and stones that could turn an ankle. While a villager might have used a torch to light the way, Senku used a flashlight, chasing back ominous shadows as he slipped away from the bonfire.

From the amount of liquor being drunk, he doubted he would be missed, anyway.

The feeling inside his chest--a mix of pride and satisfaction, hope and need--kept growing stronger, more real, almost tangible at times. And for what? Recreating some of the most basic inventions known to man? No, it was more than that. It was building something so complex from scratch, on a limited time frame with few resources. It was something to be proud of. But then, why did he feel almost...hungry? What was this sensation? And why did it make him think of...

A light was on in Senku's observatory. A steady light, one operated by batteries, not an open flame. Something about that made him grin. Even though he knew exactly who was waiting for him, his stomach still clenched in anticipation. It was strange and it was new, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant. 

As Senku crested the top of the ladder, Gen turned around from looking out the observatory window. He was smiling, face lit by the soft glow of a single lightbulb and starlight. Though the room had to be cold, Gen wore only his kimono over his clothing for warmth, no winter coat, no boots, no socks. It almost seemed as if Gen had simply been waiting here for him.

The thought of "waiting for what?" floated through Senku's brain, but it didn't stick. Senku was already crossing the open space of the floor between them, something burning in his chest as he held Gen’s blue eyes with his. Gen tipped his head to the side, his smile welcoming, his eyes soft. Did Gen know what Senku was feeling? What he wanted? What he needed? How could he, when Senku didn't even know himself?

He didn't know what to say, had no idea what to do. But his hand lifted almost of its own accord and Gen leaned his cheek into the touch, somehow managing to look shorter than Senku despite their difference in height. Gen peered up through his lashes, offering silent support as Senku tried to think through the emotions surging through his veins, the feelings tearing apart his rational thought. 

Gen's eyes dropped for a single second, a mere flutter of his lashes, really, but standing as close as they were, Senku couldn't miss the fact that Gen had looked at his lips. He wet them almost unconsciously, earning another flicker of Gen's eyes. There was a flush in his cheeks and though his expression seemed calm, Senku noted the rapid tick of Gen's pulse in his neck. He was waiting for something, but why? If Gen knew what was happening, why wait? Why not simply make the next move, rather than place the burden on an inexperienced teenager?

_He's letting me choose._ The single coherent thought in the back of Senku's mind called it out. _He's letting me choose whether we do this or not._

The knowledge that he could stop--could turn and walk away--was a greater comfort than the warmth currently pressed tight against his palm. If there was anyone he could feel comfortable with like this, it would be Gen. Gen of all people would understand. Right?

With that deciding him, Senku leaned in, letting instinct guide him. He'd never kissed anyone before, but he roughly understood the mechanics. He pressed his lips against Gen's, eyes closing automatically as his mind catalogued softness, dryness, pliability. Gen leaned into the kiss, lips moving gently against Senku's. He noted a shiver in Gen's breathing, perceived a shift in Gen's stance, though the only points of contact between them remained their kiss and the press of Gen's cheek into Senku's palm.

Almost as an experiment, Senku parted his lips in invitation. Seeming to understand, Gen took the lead, licking lightly at Senku's lips before venturing inside, timid in his approach. His scientific mind catalogued that the feeling was strange, but not entirely disagreeable. In fact, when Gen's tongue slipped behind his teeth the tickle the roof of his mouth, Senku actually felt the stirrings of interest in his body. It was...odd. He'd never really felt any interest in doing this with anyone before, but somehow right now he wished he'd experimented just a bit more in order to feel confident in this.

Gen leaned back slowly after a moment, eyes flicking between Senku's as if reading him like a book. Gen's smile hadn't changed, nor had the look in his eyes, but the energy between them felt charged somehow. Electric.

"We don't have to," Gen said softly, speaking for the first time since Senku arrived. "There's nothing that has to happen after this. It's whatever we want it to--"

Senku's body went on autopilot, hands grasping Gen's shoulders to push him back against the wall, bodies crashing together just as their mouths did, gasping and hungrily, chasing a flavor he'd only gotten a hint of. Gen made a sound between a squeal and a moan, but he certainly didn't protest. His hands fisted in the fabric of Senku's coat, trembling but neither pushing nor pulling, as if he simply needed to hold on to keep his balance.

They could stop. Of course they could. It would be easy to stop if he had to. But Senku didn't want to stop. Not now. Not when it felt so close to an experiment, inputting the variables, monitoring the reagents and awaiting the reaction. He wanted to see it through, if only to catalog the results. If they stopped to talk about it, Senku's more rational mind would kick in, reminding him that this was nothing more than hormones, nothing more than chemicals in his brain, and right now he didn't want to be reminded of that. Not while he was feeling high on victory, flush with success and drunk on the noises issuing from the back of Gen's throat.

He probably wasn't kissing all that well. Teeth clashed, tongues jousted, saliva exchanged, but despite the mess it felt good. He rocked his body experimentally against Gen's and _felt_ him groan with longing. Gen was trembling, eyes hooded, cheeks flushed. At some point his kimono had shifted off his shoulder, revealing a slim, bare shoulder. So pale was the skin that it seemed to catch and hold the starlight. Senku stared as if entranced. He'd seen Gen's shoulder before, had even seen Gen naked before, and had never felt like this: aroused and hungry and wanting more. Before he knew what he was doing, he was tugging the kimono off, sliding it over Gen's shoulders to let it fall to the floor. Gen shivered and leaned into Senku's chest, hands still fisted tight in the folds of Senku's coat. Gen kissed his mouth, then tilted his head, kissing the corner of Senku's mouth, his jaw, his neck just below his ear. Senku shuddered, each touch a different and new sensation. A part of his mind was trying to assign values to each kiss, but there wasn't any scale he knew of that rated desire and pleasure.

While Gen kissed him, Senku's hands traveled down those luminous shoulders, his shivering sides, his narrow hips, still pressed back up against the wall. Senku's own hips ground up into Gen's, making the both of them hiss and gasp. It was all becoming rapidly too much, but at the same time, something inside him was roaring for more. His fingers were on the laces of Gen's shirt, at the bottom, shaking as they tried to work the laces free, quickly becoming frustrated when he couldn't find the ends.

"Senku." His name half-moaned just hit different in that moment. Senku tugged at the edges of the shirt, willing it to open. "Senku." Gentle hands settled over his, the urgency in Gen's tone making Senku look up. Gen's eyes were nearly black in the dim light, his breathing rapid but still soft. "Let me get my clothes and you can get--" Gen's eyes betrayed him, dropping to Senku's coat as he bit his lip to hold back what he'd been about to say. He shook his head and swallowed. "Whatever you're comfortable with, okay?"

Oh, right. His own clothes. Senku almost shocked himself back to sensibility. He was a man of reason and of science: what spell was this that made him forget his own clothes in favor of taking off Gen's? Adrenaline made his hands shake as he worked on removing his coat, but he lost his concentration when Gen began untying the laces at his throat, slender fingers peeling apart the collar, pulling at the laces to loosen them just enough. He crossed his arms in front of him and tugged the loosened shirt over his head, his shoulders rolling in a motion that a cooler part of Senku's brain noted as being double-jointed. Tricky little magician, keeping that a secret up until now, though Senku wasn't all that surprised. Most magicians, or more specifically escape artists, had some form of increased flexibility over the average person.

Then the sleeveless shirt was dropped to the floor alongside the crumpled kimono and Senku lost track of all rational thought. He yanked impatiently at his coat until it came off, then grabbed Gen around the waist, pulling their bodies flush again. He hadn't gotten to any of the under-layers of his own clothes, but that seemed unimportant right now. What was important was crushing Gen up against the wall again, claiming his mouth with a kiss and tasting the skin of his neck. Gen moaned and gasped, eyes tightly shut, hands curled into fists and pinned between the two of them. Senku found Gen's collarbone, jutting proudly beneath his skin and kissed the curve of it, then the hollow. Gen writhed against him, hips coming in hard contact with each other, ragged voices crying out in surprise and lust. Gen's skin tasted like the luxury soap Senku had made for him all that time ago and it was such a stark contrast to dried sweat and campfire smoke that Senku wanted more. Leaning in against Gen's chest, he slid his hands down Gen's sides, to his hips then behind and beneath, _lifting_ in a way that wouldn't be possible without the wall pressed against Gen's back. Gen gave a strangled cry even as he wrapped his legs around Senku's waist and leaned back into the wall. Senku paused for just a moment, making note of the arch of Gen's throat as he threw his head back before brushing his lips over the taut, coiled nub of a nipple. Gen shouted, hips jumping, hands reaching for Senku's shoulders only to sharply withdraw.

"Senku," Gen gasped, breathless. "Senku, I--Is it--Can I--Please, please tell I can touch you!"

"Yeah." Senku's voice came out low enough to startle himself. He drew a breath and tried again: "Yeah, go ahead."

Gen's hands ran back through Senku's hair, trembling as they grasped the sides of his face and tipped his head up for a kiss that was both gentle and demanding, stealing his breath and making his knees weak--although that could just have been because Senku was still holding Gen up against the wall. Gen gasped as he broke the kiss, leaning back but running his hands down the back of Senku's neck, kneading his shoulders with a strength Senku hadn't known the slender mentalist possessed. As Gen pressed back into the wall, his eyes half-lidded, his hips began to rock into Senku's, trapping their clothed erections against each other and grinding steadily. Senku let his head fall forward into Gen's chest as he met each rocking thrust with one of his own, one hand bracing against the wall as the other looped behind Gen to help hold him up. He'd never considered being with someone in this way before, never mind in such an unlikely position, but somehow his hormones had convinced his brain that there was no time to strip away their remaining clothes, no time to find a bedroll, that this had to happen here and now, or risk not happening at all.

And hell, but it really was happening.

The build-up was entirely different from when Senku handled these urges on his own. There had always been a hint of urgency, a need for pressure and rhythm, the desire to finish, but the heat that infused his body this time was different--more diffuse, rather than localized. And though his body urged him to race to the finish, another part of him wanted to make it last, draw it out as if to savor it. That had certainly never happened before. And most times when he'd been forced to give in to his body's demands, he'd felt annoyed at being forced to give in to them, but now those needs came with a euphoric rush--and the feel of a body against his, writhing to the same rhythm was an experience he couldn't quite quantify.

"S-Senku!" Something about his name in the shivery voice made Senku pull Gen all the closer as they continued to grind against each other. "Senku, it's--Ah! It's been too long, I'm--"

Senku looked up in time to see Gen's face flush red, lashes quivering on his cheek just as his body shuddered hard against Senku's. His mouth fell open in a silent scream, tremors radiating outwards as slowly Gen grew heavier in Senku's grip. It was with a start of surprise that Senku realized he'd finished, or at least, he was finish _ing_. The wake of his orgasm left him weak, his knees sagging beneath Gen's weight hard enough that he had to throw himself forward to catch Gen against the wall, rather than drop him. Gen's breath burst out in startlement, though when he blinked his eyes open, he seemed to understand. Slowly, Gen slid one leg down Senku's body, then the other, holding onto Senku's shoulders until he was steady on his feet.

"Ah, ha, sorry about that." Gen was still flushed and shaky as he unwound himself from Senku, leaning back against the wall for balance. "It's been a while for me. With someone else, I mean."

Senku shook his head, still reeling from the after-effects of pleasure. His blood roared in his ears, his body felt cold all over with sweat. He braced his hands on either side of Gen's shoulders against the wall as he attempted to get a hold of himself.

"Oh, did you...too?" Gen smiled, fingers brushing Senku's bangs out of his face. "That's good. I was afraid I was the only one. Take your time, Senku, you'll be fine."

Gen ducked beneath one of Senku's arms, padding softly across the hollow-sounding floor. Senku leaned into the vacated space, mind still spinning as he struggled to bring his breathing under control. Had all that really just happened? Really? It seemed completely unbelievable, like something out a dream, or maybe a movie. Since when was Senku the type of person to lift another against the wall and grind off against them? And Gen had just...gone along with it? Why?

A noise behind him made Senku lean his shoulder against the wall in order to turn around. Gen was shaking out a blanket before laying in on the floor. After tugging the corners straight, he went to his winter coat, hanging on a peg in the wall, and rummaged through a pocket until he found a strip of cloth. Still smiling, he padded across the room to Senku, holding the cloth out.

"To clean up," Gen explained when Senku was slow to accept. "Don't worry, it's clean. Well, as clean as anything in this era is."

Senku took the cloth and Gen turned away again, this time stooping to grab his kimono and shirt off the floor. For a moment, it almost seemed as if Gen was going to dress and then leave, a notion which both comforted and discomfited Senku in turns. Half of him wanted to be alone to consider everything that had just happened, but the other half of him desperately wanted to Gen to stay, or to at least assure him that things were going to be alright between them moving forward. It wasn't until Gen set his folded clothing aside and drew a second strip of cloth from a pocket that Senku dropped his gaze. If Gen was cleaning himself, then Senku might as well do the same.

What happens now? Senku wondered, not feeling ashamed, exactly, but feeling...cautious, perhaps. Yes, cautious. He needed Gen for the upcoming war with Tsukasa's kingdom of might. More than that, he liked Gen (not like that--except maybe like that? Oh, what fresh hell was this??) and would hate to lose his companionship over this. Ugh, this was the worst possible time for his stupid teenaged hormones to run rampant and make decisions without consulting his brain first! Was this how normal people felt all the time? If so, he hated it. Hated the loss of control, hated feeling confused and sticky and not knowing what to do next.

"Senku." Gen was sitting on the blanket he'd stretched out in the middle of the floor. He smiled as he patted the space next to him. "You can come over here, if you like. There's a lot we need to talk about, I think."

Senku felt a knot in his chest loosen. Yes, of course. Talking was what they needed right now. That was really the only way to clear all this up, and to make sure it didn't happen again. Though he couldn't help but feel a little wary as he stepped up to the blanket. That feeling didn't lessen as Gen yawned widely and rolled lazily onto his side, tucking one arm under his head like a pillow. Were they really going to talk like this? Senku sat on the edge of the blanket, watching Gen warily.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to touch you now," Gen said, voice clear even though he was facing away from Senku. "We’re just talking, nothing more. I promise."

Despite using the cloth to clean up, Senku still felt the residue of his release on his skin. He shifted on the blanket, bracing his elbows on his knees. It was an effort just to agree by stating a simple "Okay." He hated feeling like this: on shaky ground and afraid that something he might say would ruin a good thing. This was why he never bothered getting close to anyone; it was too much work to keep up relationships.

"So, I think first, the important thing, is that this can be whatever we want it to be," Gen said, stretching out as he rolled over onto his back, speaking up towards the ceiling. "Which means we never have to speak of this ever again, if that's what makes you comfortable. Everything can go back exactly the way it was, with zero repercussions. Is that what you want, Senku?"

"What makes you think I'm uncomfortable?" Senku asked, reaching for an arch tone but falling short. He'd thought if he could act confident, he'd feel confident, but if he couldn't even lie to himself, how was the renowned mentalist going to believe it?

"Hm, I wonder." Senku saw Gen glance over, eyes tracing Senku's hunched body posture and half-turned away face. Senku attempted to correct his body language, but Gen's eyes were already flicking away again. "I do mean it, Senku. You might be the best person at compartmentalizing that I've ever met, and I'm not so bad at putting up an act. We really can go back to the way things were. This doesn't have to be something that stresses you out."

Senku shifted, setting one hand down on the blanket to lean back on it. "Is that what you want? To forget about it?"

Senku noticed Gen's wistful smile before he smoothed it away. "What I want isn't important here. You're the one doing all the hard work of bringing science back to the stone age and reviving all of humanity and waging war against Tsukasa's kingdom of might. Mine is just a support role. So tell me, Senku: what's the best way to support you going forward?"

For once, the mentalist actually seemed to be serious, but Senku, for once, was having trouble putting his thoughts into words. The first thing that came to mind sounded pretty offensive, and given how accepting Gen was being, it didn't feel appropriate to voice it, so he boxed it away. The next thought was that he desperately did want to just forget that this whole embarrassing event had even occurred and yes, could they please, please simply pretend it never happened? But without understanding it, Senku had no way of promising that it wouldn't happen again, and if it did, would that be impinging on Gen's friendship too far? But if they didn't just put this behind them, where, then, was this going?

Gen sighed lightly. "I don't know how to help you if you don't speak. I imagine you're confused right now. Would it help if I offered to answer any questions you have truthfully?"

"Alright." Senku was willing to try anything if it would get this awkward conversation over with quicker. "What should I ask?"

Gen shrugged. He hadn't dressed, but he'd pulled his kimono over himself like a blanket. "What do you want to know?"

"How long?" Senku blurted, surprising himself with the question. He felt his face heat up as Gen's gaze shifted from the ceiling to his face. "You said it had been a while. How long?"

"With a partner?" Gen clarified, waiting on Senku's nod. Then he chuckled. "Almost four thousand years. I haven't been with anyone since the petrification."

"Do you currently have any STDs I should know about?"

Gen barked a laugh. "No, no, nothing like that. At least, I don't have any symptoms of anything and my last modern-age health check turned up clean. That isn't to say I haven't had anything in the past, but it was treated." Gen looked over, eyes sparkling as if he wanted to tease, but held himself back. "Nothing you need to worry about from what we did."

Senku knew the likelihood of catching anything from grinding off together while still wearing clothes was almost nil, but that didn't stop him from being cautious. Senku turned his head away as he asked his next question: "How many partners have you had?"

"Hm." He'd expected Gen to be offended by the question, but he only seemed thoughtful. "I haven't kept track, honestly. Let's call it less than twenty." Senku sensed a movement on the blanket like a shrug. "The entertainment industry can be...demanding."

Senku didn't really have anything to say to that. "Are you..." Senku hesitated on the question. He hated that: he never hesitated when seeking new knowledge. "How do you identify?"

"I'm pansexual," Gen replied airily. "I've been open about it on my show and even in my books." Senku caught the hint of a smirk. "I thought you had read my books."

"Only the parts that interested me," Senku shot back, feeling the tension ease slightly between the two of them. Even so, he still hesitated. "I'm...I thought I was--"

Gen surprised him by rolling up on his elbow to face him. "You don't have to tell me anything, Senku. You have no obligation to come out, or explain yourself, or say anything you don't wish to say. You don't owe me anything for this, and nothing we did should change how you feel about yourself or your identity or your orientation. You are who you are and that only needs to matter to you."

"Tch!" Senku grinned, though it felt a little forced. "That's the kind of thing your books should have been about, not those bogus personality types."

Gen laughed softly. "I'll keep that in mind if I ever get the chance to write a book again."

Senku leaned back on both hands and stared up at the ceiling. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then did it again. He focused on easing the tension in his shoulders, his neck, his jaw, his brow. Another big breath, then: "I always thought I was asexual."

"If that's how you see yourself then that's what you are," Gen said simply. "No one can tell you you're something different now, least of all me."

"I just never felt any desire before." Senku kept his gaze trained steadily at the peaked roof of the observatory. "I guess I thought I never would."

"Asexuality is a spectrum, like many other sexualities," Gen said, speaking in a soft, even tone. "Some who identify as ace will engage in sex if they have a partner who enjoys it, others may be sex-averse entirely. There are some who still engage in romantic relationships and some prefer platonic friendships, or aromantic relationships. There's no one way to be, Senku, even for someone who identifies as asexual."

Senku chuckled nervously, running a hand through his hair. "It's easy for you to say that. I liked the textbook definition of asexuality better. It seemed more fitting and...I don't know, cleaner, I guess."

Gen laughed at that. "I could see how you'd prefer that. The sciences you prefer all have hard edges, right and wrong answers, repeatable results. Psychology really isn't like that, I'm afraid. Not even yours."

"I guess not," Senku said, somehow feeling lighter now than when the conversation had begun, as if talking had taken a burden off his shoulders. "I can't even really explain what just happened and it's bothering the hell out of me. I mean, I don't even find you attractive."

And there it was. The gut-wrenching sensation of saying the exact wrong thing, the thing he'd been trying _not_ to say ever since he'd sat down. It was the truth, because why would he lie about such a thing? But it couldn't be a good thing to hear, especially not with the person whom he'd just gotten off with.

Gen held his silence a moment, eyes distant on the ceiling, his hands folded behind his head. "I know you don't. Not in a conventional sense, anyway. Relax, Senku, I'm not offended. Well, maybe a tiny bit. I am exceptionally cute, but I've known for a while that that's wasted on you." Senku glanced over in time to see Gen's tiny, distant smile. "No, what you find attractive isn't a body-type, or even a personality-type. What you find attractive--the thing that turns you on the most--is succeeding where no one else can. It's as if you find accomplishing goals to be sexy, like building a cell phone in the middle of the stone age, or crafting medicine out of rocks, of all things. You take pride in your accomplishments and in yourself and that's what really turns you on, even if that's something you don't recognize in yourself."

"Huh." He had never really thought about it that way, but Gen wasn't wrong. The last time he hadn't been able to ignore his body's demands had been Christmas night, the night they'd tested the string of lights on the tree. Senku had thought it might have been a sort of conditioning, growing up to believe that Christmas was a romantic time of the year, but maybe it had more to do with the successful lightbulb test. It made a certain amount of sense, especially when he thought back and considered every scientific achievement he'd accomplished and whether or not it paired with an aroused reaction from his body. He was surprised to note that in most cases, the events did pair up almost exactly, just as Gen had said. He chuckled and shook his head: he thought himself a scientist, yet he'd never thought about the cause and effect of his own arousal. How had Gen--a hack psychologist--figured that out when Senku hadn't?

"It's hard to recognize our own patterns," Gen said, turning his head just enough to look over at Senku, seemingly reading his thoughts. "That's why psychologists can't self-diagnose. That and...I've been watching you, Senku."

"Why?" Senku asked, meeting his eyes.

Gen smiled. "I already told you: I'm quite fond of you. But more than that, I worry about you burning yourself out on a problem you can't solve. If you're humanity's only hope, you have to take better care of yourself. Which is why I mean it, Senku: you get to decide what happens next after this. No matter your decision, I'll continue to watch you and help where I can, even if that's just insisting you take a moment to appreciate the sunrise."

Senku shivered as a breeze came in through the open observatory window. He shifted and stretched, leaning over to grab his coat and drag it over to use as a blanket. He settled down on his side, facing Gen, who had rolled onto his back again, a careful distance between the two of them on that blanket stretched out on the floor.

"So you don't care, then?" Senku clarified. "What I choose. What happens next."

Gen's expression looked pinched before he smoothed it away. "I wouldn't say I don't care. I'd say that how you feel matters more. I'm the more experienced of the two of us and I'd hate to influence you down a path that doesn't feel right to you. I can still work with you and help you however I can, but how I do that will depend on what you want from me." He grinned suddenly, but Senku had known him long enough to see it as one of his showman's smiles. "Just don't ask me to do anything more complicated than make batteries, okay, Senku-chan? Remember, I'm delicate."

"Tch." Senku grinned and rolled onto his back, folding one arm beneath his head. "Even I can tell you're not as delicate as you pretend to be. You act like you're a selfish person, but it's all just a front. You're actually a nice guy."

"How dare you!" Gen put on an offended expression, but ruined it with a smile. "You have no proof of that accusation!"

Senku held up a hand, ticking off evidence on his fingers. "You've been teaching Chrome to read and write. You give the village kids candy and teach them songs. You led Tsukasa's hunters away from the village, rather than towards it. You offer advice to Ruri and Kokuyo without making it sound like advice. You let Kaseki drag you into craft work. You--"

"Enough, enough!" Gen begged laughingly. "It sounds like you've been watching me, too, Senku."

"Yeah." Senku frowned. "Of course I have."

It was easy to justify keeping an eye on Gen: he was a self-professed traitor to the kingdom of might and a professional actor-slash-liar. Keeping an eye on Gen was just self-preservation. Wasn't it?

No. That justification didn't hold. Senku found that kind of mistrust to be wearying: he'd put his faith in Gen that night he'd promised to make cola in exchange for Gen lying to Tsukasa about Senku's death. And he'd never looked back, even when others had doubted Gen's sincerity. So why, then, had he been keeping an eye on Gen?

As Senku puzzled over that little revelation, the wooden floor beams shivered beneath a step on the ladder: Chrome had returned home from the celebration in the village. Gen rolled over, catching Senku's eyes over a withheld breath. Would Chrome climb all the way up to the observatory? Or would he stop on the floor where they usually slept?

"Guys?" Chrome called out in a voice that warbled. It seemed Ginro had succeeded in getting him drunk. "You here?"

"We're up here," Senku called down, rapping his knuckles on the floor.

"Oh." Something crashed on the floor below and Senku winced: he was pretty sure Chrome had spilled one of his collection baskets of minerals. "Are...are you guys talking about science?"

"No," Senku and Gen called down to him.

"Okay then." A thick yawn. "Think I'm gonna turn in."

"Sounds good," Gen called after Senku hesitated on a response. Gen arched an eyebrow, lowering his voice when he spoke only to Senku. "Well? Do you know what you want from this, Senku? Or should we go down and sleep where it's warmer?"

Senku eased an itch and rolled his head towards the window. It would have been warmer if they'd thought to close it first. Just that glance over at the wall where he'd lifted Gen up against it made his face feel hot. Already it seemed like that had been another person, someone else acting out a role in Senku's body. It was...strange to reflect on.

"I don't think I understand what you're offering," Senku said slowly, still facing away. "You just keep saying we can pretend it never happened, but what else can we do?"

Gen held his silence for long moments, as if deeply considering his response. "It's difficult to offer solutions without influencing your choice one way or another, but there's any one of a hundred different ways to move on from here, so don't take any of these suggestions as an absolute, okay, Senku?"

Senku nodded. He didn't think Gen had to worry so much about influencing him, but maybe there was some merit to the notion. Gen was the more experienced one in matters of relationships, both personal and romantic. He'd be foolish to ignore the advice from a professional.

"First," Gen said, holding up an index finger. "I think the most extreme option would be announcing our new relationship to the village as boyfriends and carrying on with gooey, romantic behaviors."

Senku couldn't contain the disgusted face that image conjured, but luckily Gen only laughed.

"Cringe-worthy, isn't it? I was sure you weren't going to pick that one." Gen held up a second finger. "We could continue on with a relationship in secret, and that relationship could be anything from actively sexual to something more platonic, based on our needs at any given time. Another option--" Gen held up a third finger, "--is to not establish a relationship, but instead come up with an agreement to help meet each other's needs. For instance, when you're ‘feeling yourself’ after one of your successful scientific endeavors, we could find a little private time to help you blow off that steam, then go back to just being colleagues afterwards. Or, once again, we could never speak of this again and pretend it never happened. I think those are the main options, feel free to mix and match or make suggestions as you see fit."

It helped to hear the options laid out bare like that. It was like reading a list of reagents and deciding what each could be used for in order to yield the strongest results. Senku stared at the ceiling, tugging his coat up under his chin as he attempted to sort through the options and come up with the best one. He heard a shuffle beside him, then felt Gen brush up against his side. He glanced over suspiciously.

"It's cold, Senku-chan," Gen muttered by way of explanation, his back pressed against Senku's side. "No matter what you decide, I plan on at least weathering the rest of the winter in this hut with you and Chrome-chan. After that, if you're uncomfortable with my presence, we can discuss an alternative arrangement."

"No. I like having you close by." That admission startled both of them, Senku's eyes going wide as Gen twitched sharply against his side.

"Careful, Senku-chan," Gen said with a strained chuckle. "Saying something like that could make a guy hopeful."

"I only meant that you understand the things I'm talking about in reference to the modern era," Senku replied, though if that was true, why had his heartrate suddenly increased? "What about you, Gen? Aren't relationships supposed to be equal, or something? Shouldn't you get a say in what you want?"

"Me? Oh, I just want a soft life full of modern luxuries and as little labor as possible," Gen said in his airy, false tone. "I'm not likely to find that anywhere else in this stone world, so I might as well stick by your side. My intentions are entirely selfish; don't go looking for a deeper meaning here, Senku-chan."

"I don't believe that," Senku retorted. "If that were true, you wouldn't be laying out options like this, you'd be attempting to manipulate me."

"Who says I'm not?" Gen asked, voice carefully innocent.

"Because the first rule of manipulation is not to let the subject know he's being manipulated," Senku returned. "Otherwise, it doesn't work. The subject won't react the way you expect them to. And as you already said, I don't need to choose any of the options you've laid out for me."

"That's true," Gen said softly. "So what will you choose, Senku? Hurry up and tell me so we can get off this hard floor in this cold room and go sleep somewhere more comfortable." Before Senku could answer, Gen rolled over, nuzzling his head into Senku's shoulder, slender fingers tugging at the collar of Senku's lab coat. "Or did you want to choose the sickeningly sweet boyfriends option? Because I'll go down and get the bedrolls myself if you want to spend the night cuddling in the afterglow together."

"It also doesn't count as manipulation when it's that over the top," Senku said, brushing Gen's hand away. "You already knew I wasn't going to choose that option, you just presented it to make the other options sound more feasible."

"As usual, you see right through me, Senku-chan," Gen said with a theatrical sigh. "So, then? What will you choose? I can't know how to act until you tell me."

Senku grimaced up at the ceiling. In all honesty, forgetting about the whole thing seemed the most appealing, especially if Gen really could just act as if nothing had happened. But then, if Gen's observations were correct--and by Senku's recollection, they were--what happened the next time Senku's arousal overtook his senses? It didn't seem right to keep asking Gen to help him take care of them, then forget it afterwards. But all the other options just felt so...uncomfortable. A relationship? A _physical_ relationship? It wasn't even that he cared if other people knew or didn't know, just personally, for himself, it wasn't something he'd ever seen himself participating in. Then again, he'd never thought to find himself in a literal civilization sim game situation, where he would be rebuilding humanity and the modern era from the ground up, nor had he ever thought to find himself sharing bedspace with people he barely knew, but it worked, so why gripe about it when it arose from necessity?

Was this arrangement out of necessity, though?

And if it was...then did that make it right? Or was he taking advantage of someone he considered a friend?

A chill from the window decided him. Senku sat up and cast off the coat he'd been using as a blanket, disrupting Gen, who had been using his shoulder as a pillow. He stretched his back, sore from lying on the unforgiving floor, then rose to go close the window. He felt Gen's eyes boring holes in the back of his head.

"Well, Senku-chan?"

Senku turned around, feeling like he owed it to Gen to face this head-on. Gen sat in the messy stir of coats and blankets, hair mussed from lying down but his eyes were sharp.

"I need to think about it," Senku said simply. "Is it alright if I take some time?"

"Of course it is," Gen replied easily. "But then...in the meantime?"

"In the meantime," Senku sighed, running a hand back through his hair. "Can we just pretend it never happened? Just until I think things through."

Gen smiled knowingly. "Sure we can, Senku-chan. Tomorrow, it will be as if it never happened."

Gen gathered up his clothes and pulled on his kimono, yawning as he walked to the door near the ladder. Just as he was about to pass, Senku reached out and grabbed his wrist, earning a startled look from the mentalist.

"I'm not going to forget that I owe you an answer, mentalist. This isn't the final word on the matter."

Gen looked surprised, but Senku only grinned.

"I'll have an answer for you once I consider all the facts, so you better consider your own answer, Asagiri Gen."

Why did that conniving smirk suddenly stir something strange and exciting inside of Senku's chest? "I already have mine, Ishigami Senku. But I'll anxiously await yours."

With a final wink, the mentalist descended the ladder to the first level of the hut. Senku waited, chuckling to himself as he gave Gen a moment to lay out his bedroll.

What an interesting problem to have just prior to starting a war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t forget to check back once season 2 finishes up! I can’t wait to see all the lovely SenGen moments waiting ahead for all of us!
> 
> And if you're hungry for a new SenGen fic in the meantime, I just started a fic set during the current manga arc: [Words Unspoken](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28918158/chapters/70949157). But be warned: if you are anime-only, this fic contains manga spoilers and characters you haven't been introduced to yet. If you're current on the manga and you like No True North, I think you'll like this one!

**Author's Note:**

> This is an ongoing work and at this time, I have no idea how long it'll turn out to be. If you're interested in knowing when this fic updates, please consider subscribing, or follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ShiroKabocha1).
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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